South Korean Man Sentenced for Dodging Draft Through Obesity

A 26-year-old South Korean man received a one-year suspended sentence for manipulating his weight to avoid mandatory army service. His friend who assisted him also faced charges.

A court in Seoul has ruled against a 26-year-old man who sought to escape South Korea's mandatory military service by deliberately increasing his body weight. The man's strategy involved binge eating prior to his final physical examination. Consequently, he was classified as obese, which allowed him to be assigned to a non-combat role at a government agency, as local media reported. The man was handed a one-year suspended sentence, while his accomplice, a friend who encouraged the extreme dietary changes, received a six-month suspended sentence.

In South Korea, all able-bodied men over the age of 18 are required to serve in the military for a minimum of 18 months. Initially, the accused was deemed fit for combat duties but dramatically increased his weight, surpassing 102kg (225 lbs), by the time of his final evaluation last year. The friend, who recommended the binge eating strategy, denied the charges of complicity, claiming he had doubts his friend would follow through with the plan. As this case unfolds, it raises questions about the lengths some individuals will go to escape national service and the broader implications for South Korea's social expectations surrounding military duty.