Man gets jail term for gaining weight to avoid military duty

Young men undergo physical examinations at the Seoul Military Manpower Administration in Yeongdeungpo-gu in 2016. / Korea Times file

By Jung Min-ho, Jung Da-min

A 21-year-old man was found guilty Sunday of trying to dodge his mandatory military service by putting on nearly 30 kilograms within six months.

The Cheongju District Court handed down a suspended prison term to the man, who gained 29 kilograms deliberately in 2016 to evade his military duty.

The 180-centimeter man, whose identity is being withheld, was only 87 kilograms when he graduated from high school in February but became 113.6 kilograms by the time he received a second physical examination in July.

His body mass index (BMI) was 36.1, which was below the requirement to serve the military. So he was assigned to a public service position, a less physically demanding alternative.

But police later found he gained weight on purpose to evade his military duty.

Under the law, a person who flees, causes self-injury or cheats to avoid military service could face a maximum sentence of five years in prison.