Soldiers march during a military parade to commemorate South Korea’s 76th Armed Forces Day in Seoul on October 1 this year. AFP File Photo

A South Korean man received a suspended prison sentence for deliberately gaining weight to evade bootcamp and other strenuous activities in military service, according to a Seoul court. All South Korean men under the age of 30 are required to perform around two years of military service, primarily due to the ongoing technical state of war with nuclear-armed North Korea. While all able-bodied men must serve, those with health issues may be assigned alternative duties, such as working in an office for a municipal government.

A 26-year-old man was sentenced earlier this month to one year in prison, suspended for two years, for violating the Military Service Act by intentionally binge-eating to gain weight and be classified as unfit for active duty. After discovering that a body mass index (BMI) of over 35 could exempt him from standard military assignments, the man began a weight-gain regimen designed by an acquaintance. This plan involved doubling his food intake and consuming large amounts of water before medical evaluations.

In 2017, the man was 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighed 83 kg. By 2022, he weighed 105 kg, and in 2023, he weighed 102 kg, according to the Seoul Eastern District Court. The acquaintance who encouraged him was also convicted of aiding the legal violation and received a six-month prison term, suspended for one year. The court noted that the defendant has admitted his wrongdoing and expressed a willingness to fulfil his military duty sincerely.

The Military Manpower Administration maintains a public list of evaders, displaying their names, ages, registered addresses, and reasons for avoidance. In 2023, 355 people evaded mandatory military service illegally, the highest number since the public listing began in 2015. Famous figures have been caught faking illnesses to evade or be exempted from military service, including a high-profile celebrity accused of pulling his teeth out. Last year, Ravi, a rapper from the K-pop group VIXX, received a suspended sentence after falsifying medical documents claiming he suffered from epilepsy. He apologized on social media, admitting he made a 'foolish decision' out of desperation to delay his military service.

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