Seoul: A South Korean court has sentenced a man who deliberately gained weight to avoid mandatory military service. The 26-year-old was convicted after increasing his weight by 20 kilograms in an attempt to evade the country’s compulsory military training.
According to the Associated Press, the court in Seoul revealed on Tuesday that the man had deliberately gained the extra weight to avoid fulfilling his duty, which is mandatory for all able-bodied South Korean men. South Korea enforces a policy where every male citizen must serve between 18 and 21 months in the military, unless they have health issues that render them unfit for service.
In such cases, individuals are reassigned to alternative duties, such as work in welfare centers or community service. However, those with serious health conditions may be exempted from military service altogether.
The Eastern District Court of Seoul ruled that the man violated the country’s military service laws and sentenced him to one year in prison, although the sentence has been suspended for two years. His close associate, a 26-year-old friend, was also given a one-year sentence for assisting in the man’s attempts to avoid military service.
Local media reports suggest that both individuals are friends, though this detail has not been officially confirmed. According to court documents, the man had initially been deemed physically fit for military service during a 2017 medical examination, where he weighed 83 kilograms and stood at 5 feet 6 inches tall.
However, under the influence of his friend, he started consuming high-calorie foods to deliberately gain weight, aiming to qualify for alternative social welfare duties instead of serving in the military. He even gave up his job as a delivery worker to focus on gaining weight.
By 2022 and 2023, when he took the physical exam again, his weight had risen to between 102 and 105 kilograms, making him eligible for assignment to social welfare services rather than military training. In addition to overindulging in food, he also drank large quantities of water before the medical tests to further increase his weight.
It remains unclear how the deception was discovered or whether the man had already begun his military service when the case was brought to trial. However, the court did note that, at the time of sentencing, the man had promised to complete his military service honestly if given the chance.
In South Korea, compulsory military service is seen as a serious national duty, particularly in light of the ongoing threat posed by neighboring North Korea. Avoiding or seeking exemptions from this service is a sensitive issue, often requiring individuals to delay or abandon education and careers.
According to military workforce management statistics, around 50 to 60 cases of individuals attempting to evade military service are reported annually in South Korea. Common tactics include artificially altering weight before physical exams, as well as avoiding necessary medical treatments to secure exemptions.
