this post was submitted on 06 Feb 2024
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Not The Onion

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[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 78 points 9 months ago (20 children)

"You say you are a concientious objector but how do you explain all the violence you commit in this video game?"

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[–] detalferous@lemm.ee 50 points 9 months ago (6 children)

This seems incredibly stupid on its face. Someone please give me context that makes it make sense.

[–] gnutrino@programming.dev 75 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

So, as far as I can see the ruling was that the guy hadn't sufficiently proved through his actions (e.g. protesting, joining any anti-war movements or in this case even expressing this view to anyone beforehand) that he was an actual conscientious objector and not just a chancer who didn't want to serve.

The fact that he played PUBG was brought up as part of the suggestion that he was just having a go but wasn't the whole case against him. Indeed tbh I can't really see anything suggesting it was a particularly important consideration compared to the lack of positive evidence of conscientious objection but obviously it's the bit that's going to get clicks.

[–] CluelessLemmyng@lemmy.sdf.org 10 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Honestly, the comments show who read the article and who didn't. It's really not hard to see that the court was looking for a history of conscientious objection and didn't find any proof, instead finding arguments to the contrary.

[–] themeatbridge@lemmy.world 35 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (5 children)

Hang on, because I'm morally opposed to war and violence, but I'm not out attending rallies or protests. While my arthritic old body isn't what anyone wants in battle, if I were healthy, and we had a draft, I'd be a conscientious objector with no history of activism.

Would South Korea put me in jail?

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[–] snooggums@kbin.social 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Can't hold a moral stance without shouting it at everyone around you!

[–] Aatube@kbin.social -1 points 9 months ago

If you don’t join such groups, do you really believe it strong enough?

[–] Badeendje@lemmy.world 10 points 9 months ago (1 children)

It is stupid. The man says he is .orally opposed to the military, but the courts rules that playing a computer game like PUBG makes that a lie.

[–] EssentialCoffee@midwest.social 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Well, they ruled that he had no history of being a conscientious objector and did not put any previous effort into spreading his claimed ideology that would point to a history of it. One of the findings was that he didn't want to join the military because the 'orders were unfair.' PUBG was a small part of the argument that he was not as against war and violence as he claimed to be, but the article is on Kotaku, so they know their audience to get clicks.

To my knowledge, the current law is that if you say you're a conscientious objector, the alternative to military conscription is to work in a prison or correctional facility for 36 months. Getting the previous punishment of 18 months in prison is at least a shorter amount of time.

I wonder if he went to court to get the previous alternative of 18 months in jail over the 36 months of work. At least it's a shorter amount of your life.

[–] Badeendje@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago

Thanks for the elaboration. But with the 18 month sentence would the alternative service not still be required afterwards. That's how it would most likely be here in the Netherlands. Punishment for not doing a required thing is not a substitution.. it's punishment, you still have to do the thing.

[–] aniki@lemm.ee 9 points 9 months ago (2 children)

South Korean government isn't exactly a bastion of democracy and sensibility. It's a fascist hell hole.

[–] NewNewAccount@lemmy.world 14 points 9 months ago (3 children)

South Korea is considered a “full democracy” and ranks higher than the US on The Economist Democracy Index.

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[–] Candelestine@lemmy.world 6 points 9 months ago (1 children)

You don't know what fascism is.

[–] RobotToaster@mander.xyz 0 points 9 months ago (1 children)

To quote Georgi Dimitrov:

"fascism in power was correctly described by the Thirteenth Plenum of the Executive Committee of the Communist International as the open terrorist dictatorship of the most reactionary, most chauvinistic and most imperialist elements of finance capital. ... Fascism is the power of finance capital itself. It is the organization of terrorist vengeance against the working class and the revolutionary section of the peasantry and intelligentsia. In foreign policy, fascism is jingoism in its most brutal form, fomenting bestial hatred of other nations. ... The development of fascism, and the fascist dictatorship itself, assume different forms in different countries, according to historical, social and economic conditions and to the national peculiarities, and the international position of the given country."

[–] Pfnic@feddit.ch 9 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

According to the article, the court argued that the guy refusing mandatory service for conscientious reasons enjoys playing violent games such as PUBG, calling the reasons given for abstaining from military service in question

[–] RobotToaster@mander.xyz 9 points 9 months ago (1 children)

south Korea is a fascist police state that will use stupid excuses to force men to die for the government.

[–] aniki@lemm.ee 9 points 9 months ago

Kpop stans in shambles but you're absolutely right

[–] stoly@lemmy.world 6 points 9 months ago

One presumes that there is a certain standard in Korea to establish that you are a CO. Compelled military service makes it harder to avoid this. It seems that the Korean courts believe that liking violent video games means you're a violent person. It's a terrible ruling, but it frankly doesn't surprise me given the context.

[–] Zehzin@lemmy.world 39 points 9 months ago

We're finally imprisoning gamers 🙏

[–] bingbong@lemmy.dbzer0.com 37 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I can't believe this isn't the onion

[–] pastermil@sh.itjust.works 8 points 9 months ago

Goddamn, the actual article is even more absurd than the title.

[–] Veneroso@lemmy.world 24 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Man I can't wait to get charged with adultery when the court finds out how much porn I watch.

[–] WoahWoah@lemmy.world 19 points 9 months ago

If you live in the United States, depending on the state, you might get your wish.

[–] yesman@lemmy.world 14 points 9 months ago

but a lower court dismissed this partially because he loves playing PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. (emphasis mine)

I suspect that "partially" is working harder than John Henry in this sentance.

[–] Grass@sh.itjust.works 13 points 9 months ago

That's fucking stupid. They should be jailing him for playing a shitty game instead.

[–] taanegl@lemmy.world 13 points 9 months ago

Thank the moronic mother's who clutch their pearls regarding "violent videogames". Modern psychiatry has concluded with finality that being violent, or even pro-violence, has nothing to do with videogames. But there are idiots who need to sell books to other idiots, because science denounces the notion.

The human brain registers a fake scenario and you suspend your disbelief. Juxtaposed with actual violence, with physical violence, gun violence, etc, they are not the same.

In the same vein, if anyone has watched a violent movie, they are then also pro-violence?

The answer is no.

[–] boonhet@lemm.ee 8 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

In my country, conscientious objectors can instead opt to work for charity for the duration of their service I believe. Much better solution than throwing service dodgers in jail. This also proves you're not doing it just to avoid service.

For an example I know someone who couldn't serve in the military for health reasons, but instead worked for the food bank for 8 months. The pay is shit, but for some people it's an option. And if you have a young child, you're exempt from service for a while anyway, it's only mandatory if you don't have significant provable responsibilities to other people. And I believe even then it's not mandatory in all cases.

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