The Supreme Courtroom of Korea has dominated {that a} South Korean man should serve one yr and 6 months in jail after he refused the nation’s necessary navy service. He had argued he was a conscientious objector, however a decrease courtroom dismissed this partially as a result of he loves enjoying PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.
Launched in 2017, PUBG was one of many first and hottest battle royale shooters round. It nonetheless holds the report for many concurrent gamers on Steam at over 3 million. (Not even the latest mega-hit Palworld may prime that quantity.) Whereas different video games—like Fortnite and Name of Obligation: Warzone—have usurped its standing as the highest battle royale title, it nonetheless repeatedly seems on Steam’s most-played video games record and nonetheless has a really massive group. That features one man in South Korea who trying to keep away from necessary navy service.
In November 2018, an unnamed South Korean man was charged with violating the nation’s Navy Service Act, which compels all able-bodied males within the nation to serve within the navy for at the very least 18 months. As reported by The Korea Herald (and noticed by Gamesradar) the person initially informed the courtroom he refused to enlist based mostly on his private beliefs towards warfare.
Within the verdict handed down in 2018—and upheld by the Supreme Courtroom on February 4—the courtroom mentioned the defendant had “not put any effort into spreading or realizing what he says is his ideological perception.” The courtroom additionally pointed to the person’s love of PUBG as additional proof he wasn’t towards warfare and violence.
“The defendant admitted that he incessantly loved enjoying the sport ‘Battlegrounds,’ which is about killing characters with weapons in a digital actuality,” the courtroom added, as reported by The Korea Herald. “The online game is totally different from actuality. However the truth that the defendant—who says he’s rejecting navy service based mostly on his beliefs to oppose violence and warfare—enjoys such video games makes the courtroom query whether or not his conscientious objection is genuine.”
In accordance with investigators, he refused to hitch the navy because of “rampant unfair orders” and since it repeatedly disregards human rights. The courtroom disagreed and now the Supreme Courtroom of Korea has confirmed the unique ruling. The defendant will now be compelled to serve 18 months in jail—the identical period of time he would have needed to serve within the navy.
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