A Christian high school in Seoul is under fire for allegedly forcing a non-Christian student to move to another school due to his refusal to attend religious services.
Kang Ui-seok, 18, a third-year student of Daekwang High School, has held a one-man demonstration in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education since June 16 to protest against a mandatory school regulation that forces all students _ Christians or non-Christians _ to attend religious services.
Kang argued that forcing a certain religion is against the Constitution, while the school says he doesn’t understand the characteristics of a mission school, and as other mission schools do, Daekwang has its own policy that students must pay respect.
``In an open and free society, individuals have the freedom to choose their religion,’’ Kang said in a message posted on the homepage set up by his supporters.
Kang, a non-Christian, has demanded the school abolish the regulation, refusing to attend the worships held in the morning and afternoon each day. School authorities were annoyed when Kang posted messages early this month denouncing the school policy on the school’s bulletin shared by teachers and students.
According to Kang and his teachers, Daekwang pressured Kang to move to another school, while threatening to expel him in accordance with regulations. Instead of facing the expulsion, Kang’s parents recently reluctantly agreed to move Kang to another school.
School authorities say Kang violated eight counts of school regulations by refusing to attend religious services and persuading other non-Christian students to follow in his footsteps.
``Kang is a student of Daekwang, a mission school, and he has the duty to follow its rules,’’ a teacher told The Korea Times over the telephone.
``He is not eligible to be a Daekwang student not because he held demonstrations, but because failed to show respect for the school’s authority and defamed the school.’’
Another teacher said Kang never displayed dissatisfaction over the policy for the past two years. ``We don’t understand why he behaved like that in his last year at school,’’ he said.
Still, Daekwang’s policy of forcing non-Christians to attend worship services is not welcomed by many of its students. Since Kang made his intention clear to disobey the rule, many students rallied around him.
``The Constitution ensures an individual’s choice of a religion. Although Daekwang is a mission school, it has no right to compel non-Christians to sit by Christian students and hold prayers,’’ a Daekwang student said.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, all missionary schools should ensure the rights for non-followers to refuse religious service offered by the schools. But in Daekwang’s case, the high school didn’t follow the rule, making the service compulsory.