South Korea has handed a prison term to a man accused of deliberately putting on weight to avoid a tougher role in the military. The man was handed a suspended prison term after he put on more than 20 kilograms of weight so he was not drafted into the role.
He has been accused of violating the country’s military service act under which all able-bodied men must serve in the military for 18-21 months. The Seoul Eastern District Court said it sentenced the man to one year in prison, suspended for two years for trying to evade conscription. Another person who helped him received a suspended one-year prison term, the court said. As per local media reports, both the men are 26 years of age and friends.
Five feet six inches tall and weighing 83 kilograms, the man was found suitable to become an active-duty soldier following an exam in 2017. He did not want to take up the role, and so his acquaintance advised him that if he were overweight, he could get a social service grade.
Upon learning this, he doubled his daily food intake. He started gorging on high-fat and high-calorie food, and also quit his part-time job as a delivery man, as per the court’s public affairs office.
He drank water right before tests to show more weight
When he sat for three physical exams from 2022-2023, he weighed 102-105 kilograms. The report states that he gulped down a large amount of water before those tests. This weight meant he could take up a role in social service.
In South Korea, the military conscription system is largely maintained to be ready in the face of a threat from North Korea. However, those with health issues are allowed to instead serve non-military facilities such as welfare centres and community service centres. Others with more serious health issues are fully exempted.
But, every year, around 50-60 such cases are reported where a person tries to dodge military duties, according to the Military Manpower Administration. Gaining or losing weight is a common way to escape conscription, besides avoiding necessary medical treatments before physical tests in case of health issues.