Human Rights Commission: "Universities Mandating Chapel Class Completion... Violation of Religious Freedom"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Jo] The National Human Rights Commission has ruled that making chapel class attendance mandatory at schools infringes on religious freedom.

On the 21st, the Human Rights Commission announced that it recommended the president of University A to prepare improvement measures, such as adding alternative chapel courses or assigning substitute assignments. The commission stated, "When sectarian education is made compulsory, it is appropriate to seek ways that do not fundamentally infringe on religious freedom, such as recognizing the right to refuse attendance for students without religion or offering alternative courses."

Earlier, the Human Rights Commission received a complaint from a student enrolled at University A, stating that "the school infringes on religious freedom by not allowing graduation unless chapel classes are attended." The school explained that the class content is diverse, including cultural performances and character education, and that the class format is not in the form of worship, asserting that there is no element of religious coercion. They also claimed that students were sufficiently informed in advance through the freshman recruitment guidelines that chapel attendance is mandatory.

However, the Human Rights Commission pointed out that the course outline and objectives specify "cultivation of Christian spirit," and that the chapel instructor is a pastor invited from outside, judging that it constitutes religious education aimed at spreading Christianity. Furthermore, the commission stated that enrolling in a school where chapel attendance is mandatory cannot be presumed as an indication of willingness to accept any religious education.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.