SEOUL – A South Korean man has been sentenced to a suspended jail time period for intentionally gaining greater than 20 kilograms (44 kilos) to evade a more durable function within the nation’s army conscription system, a Seoul court docket mentioned Tuesday.
In South Korea, all able-bodied males should serve within the army for 18-21 months, however people with well being points can as an alternative perform their duties at non-military amenities resembling welfare facilities and group service facilities. If their issues are severe, they’re exempted from their army duties.
The Seoul Jap District Courtroom mentioned it sentenced the person to 1 yr in jail, suspended for 2 years, for violating the nation’s army service act.
The court docket mentioned an acquittance of the person obtained a suspended 1-year jail time period for aiding his crime.
Native media reported they’re mates, each aged 26, however the court docket mentioned it couldn’t verify the experiences.
An examination in 2017 discovered the person appropriate to turn out to be an active-duty soldier at 169 centimeters (5 toes 6 inches) tall and weighting 83 kilograms (183 kilos). However with the recommendation of his acquaintance that he may get a social service grade if he was obese, he doubled his day by day meals consumption, centered on consuming high-calorie meals merchandise and give up his part-time job as a supply employee, based on the court docket’s public affairs workplace.
In three bodily exams from 2022-2023, the person weighted 102-105 kilograms (225-231 kilos), a weight that made him match for social service. Simply earlier than these exams, he drank a considerable amount of water as properly, based on the court docket.
It was unclear how their crime was caught and what duties the person served beneath the conscription system. The court docket mentioned each the defendants and prosecutors didn’t enchantment the Nov. 13 ruling.
South Korea maintains a army conscription system resulting from threats from rival North Korea. However exemptions or dodging of army duties is a extremely delicate home subject, as a result of the draft forces younger males to droop their research or skilled careers.
Every year, about 50-60 instances of dodging army duties have been reported, based on the Army Manpower Administration. It mentioned widespread methods to evade army duties embrace gaining or dropping pounds excessively or males with well being points not taking vital medical therapies earlier than bodily exams.
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