"All students, attend worship and sacred song competition!"... "violation of religious freedom."

[Anchor]
It was judged that a high school in Seoul forced all students to attend worship and choir meetings was an infringement of religious freedom.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education's Student Human Rights Education Center recommended that the high school give students practical options.

Reporter Kim Joo-young reports.

[Reporter]
A High School, located in Seoul, is a Protestant mission school that is based on the Christian spirit.

We have held worship services or religious events for students, and it has been determined that these have violated religious freedom.

The high school student applied for relief to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education's Student Human Rights Education Center, and the center released the results after the investigation.

According to the survey, A High School held more than 20 religious services this year alone, such as the service during the week of hardship, the service to commemorate the ascension of Jesus, and the service of thanksgiving, and allowed all students to attend.

Students had to praise and pray under the name of the class economic association every morning during class inquiry time, and they had to participate in the choir competition unconditionally.

This led to classes as well.

Six of the seven first-year classes opened religious courses to learn religious studies.

Some argued that the other class was like learning philosophy, but there was no teacher in charge of the philosophy class, and the content of the class was the same as religious studies.

The school said that as a mission school, students also knew about this and applied, and argued that it is difficult to manage if each group life is given a choice.

However, the center's student human rights advocate said that there is a limit to allocating students who do not wish for the school, and recommended that the principal be given a choice rather than forcing students to participate in religious events on campus.

He also asked the Seoul Superintendent of Education to provide a detailed understanding of the current status of schools that run religious activities and to strengthen guidance and supervision to ensure students' religious freedom.

Although the recommendation is not compulsory, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education will consider whether to provide scholarship guidance if the recommendation is not accepted.

I'm Kim Joo-young of YTN.