South Korea has beaten its own record once again. The country has registered a new low in its already faltering birth rate. The rate for 2023 was just 0.72. This is an unprecedented number in the global community (the average for OECD countries was 1.58 in 2021).

Archive https://archive.ph/JwmHJ

  • Po Tay ToesEnglish
    2•8 months ago

    Perhaps I was exposed to a clickbaity title and didn’t bother to read, but I seem to remember it differently. What do you think after reading the excerpt below?

    However, in this case, the court noted that the defendant had never volunteered for any anti-war charities or protests. Perhaps more damningly, however, the court also pointed out that "the defendant admitted that he frequently enjoyed playing the game [PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds].

    Despite acknowledging that PUBG takes place “in a virtual reality,” the cut-throat nature and gun-related violence of the hit battle royale game was seen by the court to somewhat undermine the defendant’s claim that they would be objecting on moral grounds: “The fact that the defendant […] enjoys such [a] game makes the court question whether his conscientious objection is authentic.”

    https://www.gamesradar.com/battle-royale-fan-sentenced-to-18-months-in-jail-for-dodging-military-service-after-supreme-court-rejects-claim-hes-anti-violence-because-of-his-pubg-playtime/

    • @[email protected]English
      0•8 months ago

      The court made the decision based on the fact that he had never volunteered for any anti-war charities or protests, and he was unable to show any other proof he supported those causes. The PUBG issue was just a circumstantial contributing factor towards that overall argument, and not the main reason he was jailed. Had he been able to show his beliefs were sincere it would have been irrelevant. It’s just being emphasised heavily because it gets clicks and attention.

      • Scroll Responsibly
        3•8 months ago

        That ruling (or law if that’s how it’s written) is some bs. That’s like saying that in order to prove that you don’t believe in beating up homeless people you have to provide evidence that you volunteer at a homeless shelter.

        • @Noodle07
          1•8 months ago

          That’s the mandatory part of the mandatory military service