December 24, 2010 -- Updated 0411 GMT (1211 HKT)
Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- Weeks after North Korea's attack on Yeonpyeong Island, the mood is still tense on the streets of Seoul, especially following the largest ever winter live-fire drill and civil defense exercise.
This sense of apprehension was clear on university campuses, with many young men worried about the prospect of an outright war. That's because many college students are due to start their military service after this semester and also because the two soldiers killed on Yeonpyeong Island last month were their age, 19 and 21.
"The two marines who died on Yeonpyeong were my age and I might be a victim, too. That makes me anxious. My mom's worried these days," said Jaehwan Lee, a 19-year-old English literature major who is due to begin his military duty once the semester is over.
South Korea is technically still at war with its communist neighbor. The 1950-53 Korean War ended with a truce but no peace agreement was reached. Under South Korean law, able-bodied young men must serve for about two years in the country's 650,000-member military. It is seen as a key part of the nation's defense against the communist North's 1.1 million troops across the border.
Conscription is a sensitive social issue in South Korea. Popular TV personalities have been removed from programs and politicians have lost elections when it was revealed that they or their sons evaded the duty through suspect measures.
Military records of public figures are constantly under public scrutiny and much suspicion is aroused when seemingly healthy-looking celebrities end up not going, citing health reasons or if they are assigned to do civil service instead of regular combat duty.
South Korea offers no alternative service for conscientious objectors. They face an 18-month jail term, followed by hefty fines. Seoul announced three years ago that it would bring in an alternative service for conscientious objectors in 2009 but scrapped the plan, citing "negative public sentiments."
Human rights lawyer Oh Jaechang said conscientious objectors' refusal to participate in a military capacity poses no threat to national security, due to their small numbers.
CONTINUE READING at http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/12/23/south.korea.military.conscription/index.html?hpt=C1
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