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Why babies in South Korea are suing the government
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01457-yNEWS
20 May 2024
Why babies in South Korea are suing the government
The first case in East Asia to challenge government climate policies will boost awareness of global warming and encourage further lawsuits in the region.
By Carissa Wong
Adults, children and babies — including Woodpecker who is being carried — are among the plaintiffs claiming that the South Korean government is threatening their rights through inaction on climate change.Credit: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
The first lawsuit to challenge national climate policies in East Asia could lead to more cases of its kind in the region, say researchers. On 21 May, the South Korean constitutional court will hold its second and final hearing of the case. In the landmark challenge, babies, children, adults and even an unborn child filed petitions to sue the South Korean government for not doing enough to tackle climate change. The plaintiffs claim that the government’s climate goals are too weak, threatening their right to live in a healthy environment.
Such a case is unheard of in East Asia, but similar cases have been filed in places including the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia, India and Brazil. Sejong Youn, who is a legal counsel for the case in Seoul says, “If we have a favourable precedent in South Korea, I think that will really be a trigger in spreading this trend.”
“It will send a message: all countries need to take action in order to tackle this global crisis, and there are no exceptions,” he says.
The case before the court is the result of merging four similar cases that were filed between 2020 and 2023. The first hearing occurred last month.
[...]
20 May 2024
Why babies in South Korea are suing the government
The first case in East Asia to challenge government climate policies will boost awareness of global warming and encourage further lawsuits in the region.
By Carissa Wong
Adults, children and babies — including Woodpecker who is being carried — are among the plaintiffs claiming that the South Korean government is threatening their rights through inaction on climate change.Credit: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
The first lawsuit to challenge national climate policies in East Asia could lead to more cases of its kind in the region, say researchers. On 21 May, the South Korean constitutional court will hold its second and final hearing of the case. In the landmark challenge, babies, children, adults and even an unborn child filed petitions to sue the South Korean government for not doing enough to tackle climate change. The plaintiffs claim that the government’s climate goals are too weak, threatening their right to live in a healthy environment.
Such a case is unheard of in East Asia, but similar cases have been filed in places including the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia, India and Brazil. Sejong Youn, who is a legal counsel for the case in Seoul says, “If we have a favourable precedent in South Korea, I think that will really be a trigger in spreading this trend.”
“It will send a message: all countries need to take action in order to tackle this global crisis, and there are no exceptions,” he says.
The case before the court is the result of merging four similar cases that were filed between 2020 and 2023. The first hearing occurred last month.
[...]