By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the ``enfant terrible’’ Kang We-suck, granting students the right to refuse to attend religious rituals at schools run by religious foundations for missionary purposes.
A lower court’s decision was quashed by the Supreme Court and it found Daegwang High School in Seoul guilty of forcing its students to attend Christian chapel and waging severe punishment on those who did not obey.
The Supreme Court justice looked into whether the school had received students’ support before providing the religious education as well as the disadvantages to those who refused. It found the school foundation guilty for expelling Kang. The exact amount of compensation is yet to be fixed but the 24-year-old has initially requested 51 million won.
The case was ignited when Kang refused to attend the Christian chapel and staged a protest against the school management in 2004, when he served as the student president. He said those who refused to attend were threatened with receiving poor academic records and other disadvantages. He was kicked out of the school.
He filed a suit in 2005 with his religious class teacher and Protestant Christian pastor Ryu Sang-tae. While a local court ruled in his favor, he lost in the appeal court.
Kang said after the court ruling, ``I hope schools understand that religion is never to be compelled.’’ Ryu said, “What Kang asked for was not the abolishment of any religious education but the right to be given options.”
However, the court dismissed Kang’s request to punish the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education for neglecting to take issue with the expulsion.
Kang has walked an unusual path after leaving high school. He enrolled at Seoul National University Law department, the nation’s most prestigious school, but worked as an amateur boxer, male host at entertainment bars and other jobs.
He has also held campaigns to ``refuse the mandatory military draft and go to prison for it,’’ rather than having to ``learn to kill someone for no reason.’’ In line with his philosophy, he was indicted for running naked at a military parade two years ago on Samseong Boulevard in southern Seoul. He has recently released a solo album and a documentary film.
In a previous interview with The Korea Times, he said, ``I do what I believe, though many people may not tolerate me.’’