Restriction on 'PC bang' near school constitutional
A law banning the opening of an Internet café, better known here as a "PC bang” here, within a radius of 200 meters from a school does not infringe upon the constitutional right of the freedom of profession, the Constitutional Court said Monday.
The court said the restriction on the locations of PC bangs where youngsters could easily access and play online games was necessary to make "educationally hazardous” environments off limits to children.
A self-employed man, surnamed Yoon, filed a petition with the court after a local education office rejected his application to run a PC bang near a public school.
Under the current law on schooling, businesses considered to be undermining the academic atmosphere, including PC bangs, are not allowed within a radius of 50 meters and selectively disallowed within a radius of 200 meters from primary and secondary schools.
Lee Kang-kook, president of the nine-member court, said the disputed law is justifiable as it is designed to help students from being distracted.
"The law doesn’t restrict the petitioner’s basic rights too much as there is no restriction in operating a business beyond 200 meters of the location of a school,” Lee said.
The court said the restriction is also justifiable in that "forming an academic environment in which students are not tempted by entertainment facilities is more of a priority than the protection of the freedom of profession.”
Two justices ― Kim Jong-dae and Song Doo-hwan ― made their decision that the restriction was unconstitutional, citing unclear guidelines on "educationally hazardous” businesses of the law.
PC Bang really can be hazardous place specially for primary school students. We need to protect them from many wrong values of money, appearance, sex ...etc. on the net. In many on-line games there are usually female characters who are almost naked, they arouse children's sexual curiosity and lead them to wrong sexual fantasy. Also on-line games are consisted of fights, killing so they can make children dull about other's pain. For killing is easy and necessary mean to win the games in on-line games.
now they, probably, will begin to study )))
