Reimagining Security Through Xenophilic Immunity: The Case of South Korean Conscientious Objectors

For over 70 years, South Korean conscientious objectors to military conscription have been imprisoned for jeopardising the military and the vital common interest of national security. However, they have continued to publicly declare their refusal to conscription. Therefore, this article asks how South Korean conscientious objectors can reimagine security in South Korea. Since many conscientious objectors reflect on their relationship with others, I expose and challenge the dominant imaginations of security in South Korea through the lens of bodily immunity. I juxtapose two readings. Firstly, I read the South Korean Constitutional Court’s decisions and the government’s narratives in light of xenophobic immunity. Secondly, I read conscientious objectors’ narratives while considering xenophilic immunity. The juxtaposition shows conscientious objectors can reimagine security as awareness and reflection on the self’s entanglement with others. This article provides a novel way of representing the security of the South Korean body politic.