When he was a 20-week-old embryo — before he even had a real name — Choi Hee-woo became one of the world's youngest-ever plaintiffs by joining a groundbreaking climate lawsuit against South Korea.
His case, known as "Woodpecker et al. v. South Korea" after Choi's in utero nickname, seeks to prove Seoul's modest climate goals — reducing carbon emissions by 40% of 2018 levels by 2030 — are a violation of their constitutionally guaranteed human rights.
In Asia's first such climate case — a similar youth-led effort recently succeeded in the U.S. state of Montana, another is ongoing at the European Higher Court — the plaintiffs claim South Korea's legally binding climate commitments are insufficient and unmet.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.