By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Christian leaders and many lawmakers seek the revision of a law to prevent the government from holding state-run tests on Sundays.
The Christian Council of Korea and the National Assembly's Human Right's Forum Thursday held a seminar on whether the current law, allowing state-run tests to be held on Sundays, infringes on the freedom to practice religion and the right to seek happiness.
Rep. Hwang Woo-yea of the Grand National Party said that many state examinations are held on Sundays, but churchgoers on that day have to give up their worship services to attend them. Hwang, the representative of the forum said he will propose a bill revision to the assembly this month.
Currently, Bar and higher civil service examinations are held on weekdays, while tests for other qualifications and the teachers' license are held on Sundays.
Since Christians make up over 40 percent of the population, their right to go to church and worship on that day should be guaranteed, he said. ``It's not only for religious people. The revision aims to allow all people to rest on weekends,'' Hwang said.
At the seminar, Lee Yong-kyu, president of the council, said that the revision will allow workers to take a day off to take the tests.
Many people have opposed the idea. ``If Christians are guaranteed Sunday, then Muslims should get Fridays and Seventh-day Adventists should have Saturdays off from all public events,'' Park, a 26-year-old student said.
``I have to work on weekdays and usually Sundays are the best time to take tests. I just cannot take a day off to take tests,'' a 24-year-old worker, Lee, said.
Night schools also oppose the revision. Most of their students have day jobs or are housewives who cannot make it during the weekdays.
``There are early morning or evening chapels and it doesn't sound fair that Christians hold on to morning and daytime for their religious services. It can infringe on non-religious people's right to take the tests,'' Kim Dong-young, president of night schools' association, said.
The government is also skeptical about the plan. The Central Personnel Committee, which rents school buildings for examinations, said weekdays are nearly impossible. During the term, school test days, entrance day, graduation day, and too hot or cold days are all exempt from possible examination days, and excluding Sundays will leave few options, a committee official said.
The committee last year held a survey to find half the test takers prefer Sunday to other weekdays. Forty percent picked Saturdays and mere 10 percent chose weekdays.
bjs@koreatimes.co.kr
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