26-year-old convicted of gaining weight to avoid military service

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26-year-old convicted of gaining weight to avoid military service

Published: 24 Nov. 2024, 15:29 Updated: 24 Nov. 2024, 16:55

Conscription candidates undergo physical examinations at the Gyeonggi Regional Military Manpower Administration on Feb. 1, 2023. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

A 26-year-old man was convicted of deliberately gaining weight in order to avoid mandatory military service on Nov. 13.

The Seoul Eastern District Court convicted the man, and a friend of the same age who'd provided him with a meal plan, of violating the Military Service Act, the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, reported Sunday, citing anonymous legal sources.

The suspect had dramatically altered his diet in order to achieve a body mass index (BMI) that would make him eligible to complete social service work instead of serving as an active-duty soldier, the report said.

The man's friend, convicted of aiding and abetting the violation, reportedly motivated him throughout the weight-gain process.

The man was handed a two-year suspended sentence. His friend, convicted of aiding and abetting the violation, received a six-month suspended sentence, according to the JoongAng Ilbo.

“The defendant acknowledged his wrongdoing and expressed a commitment to fulfilling his military duty,” the court ruled. “The court considered the defendants’ lack of prior convictions and the circumstances following the offense when determining the sentence.”

The weight gain took place over a period of three months.

Prosecutors said that the man had received a Level Two physical classification, qualifying him for active-duty service, during his initial military physical examination on Oct. 17, 2017. However, he postponed enlistment several times, citing reasons such as college entrance exams and certification tests.

The defendant reportedly decided to gain the weight in September 2022, when he became eligible for a reevaluation.

His height and weight were recorded at 168.9 centimeters (5 feet, 6 inches) and 105.4 kilograms (232.4 pounds), with a BMI of 36.9, during a conscription evaluation on Dec. 7, 2022, according to the court. People with a BMI of 35 or higher at the time of examination qualify for a Level Four classification under the Military Service Act, making them eligible to enter the social service branch.

Over those three months, the man doubled his meal portions based his friend's diet plan and quit his physically demanding part-time job. He also consumed large amounts of water just before measurements to temporarily increase his weight.

The man's friend encouraged him, saying, “If you can gain four kilograms in a month, you can increase your weight by 10 kilograms in 2.5 months.” He also frequently set weight goals and advised him to think about the benefits of public service whenever he felt discouraged.

The man’s friend denied his charges during the trial, claiming he thought the man “would only talk about it but not actually follow through.” The court nevertheless ruled that his actions constituted psychological abetting, deeming him guilty.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]