GamesBattle RoyalePlayerUnknown’s BattlegroundsSouth Korean man jailed for refusing military service after admitting he loves PUBG: Battlegrounds, which ‘makes the court question whether his conscientious objection is authentic’When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesBattle RoyalePlayerUnknown’s BattlegroundsSouth Korean man jailed for refusing military service after admitting he loves PUBG: Battlegrounds, which ‘makes the court question whether his conscientious objection is authentic’When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: PUBG Corporation)
The man was first indicted in November 2018, which is when he claimed to be a conscientious objector who would not enlist due to his personal stance against violence and war. In South Korea there are very occasional exemptions forcultural icons and elite athletesbut otherwise little tolerance towards those who wish to avoid the draft, to the extent thateven global megastars like BTSare currently doing their service.
With that context, it’s not especially surprising that the court had little sympathy for the man’s claims of being a conscientious objector. But what’s eyebrow-raising is the logic it uses to get there.
“The defendant has not put any effort into spreading or realizing what he says is his ideological belief, such as working at an NGO related to anti-violence, anti-war, or peace,” reads the court’s verdict. It further noted that there was no evidence of such behaviour before he was drafted, either. But here we go:
“The defendant admitted that he frequently enjoyed playing the game ‘Battlegrounds’ which is about killing characters with guns in a virtual reality,” reads the judgement. “The video game is different from reality. But the fact that the defendant—who says he is rejecting military service based on his personal opposition to violence and war—enjoys such a game makes the court question whether his conscientious objection is authentic.”
I suppose the court at least admits games are different from reality, but this nevertheless feels like far too straight a line between enjoyment of violence in entertainment and willingness to commit actual violence. It’s perfectly possible to be a conscientious objector and interested in the history and nature of warfare.
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