A 25-year-old Seventh-day Adventist, Gwang-il Han, won the right to serve as a medic in the Korean Army on July 23 when the Daejeon District Court ruled in favor of the church member, who wanted to both fulfill a national service requirement and observe the Sabbath, or Saturday.

“It is religious discrimination that the [military] exam committee didn’t [approve] Han’s candidacy at the officer appointment exam,” the court said in its opinion. Military examiners, in rejecting Han, were “jumping to a conclusion that Han would be an obstruction to military discipline or unity only because of Han’s specific religion, although there is no affirmation that Han will violate military order to persist in his religious life,” the court declared.

Han had qualified for the medical support role after an examination of his personal history, as well as passing an aptitude test, physical checkup, and a strength test. However, when he was asked whether he would work on Saturday, he said, “I will work more diligently on other working days and consult with commanding officers [in order to maintain my religious] belief.” Because of this answer he was rejected as a medic and, in May 2002, Han went to court seeking relief.

Han joined the armed services in February 2002. He told church officials in Korea, “I believe the Lord is listening to our voices and preparing our direction. If we don’t give up, all of His will and work will come to pass, however difficult it is to believe this.”

Hyun Suh Koo, public affairs and religious liberty director for the Adventist Church in Korea, said the victory was an important step for Adventists who want to fulfill national service obligations, yet maintain their beliefs.

“This case gives a green light for Adventists in Korea to address the matters of Sabbath-keeping on military bases and in [other] workplaces, as well as the issues of alternative tests for exams held on the Sabbath and conscientious objection. We will submit related petitions to the [government’s] presidential office, and defense ministry to resolve Sabbath accommodation and conscientious objection issues.”

Korean Army officials may yet appeal the verdict, although they have not announced plans to do so. Han’s victory received wide media attention in Korea, where the question of religious accommodation and the country’s obligatory military service has been a topic of recurring interest in recent years.