The End of Elite and Celebrity Monopoly... The Normalization of 'Military Service Corruption'

110 Annual Cases of Military Service Evaders Fleeing Abroad
Methods of Avoiding Service Increased from 7 to 47
Exploited Not Only by Celebrities and Elites but Also by Ordinary People

Military service evasion, which used to mainly take the form of fleeing abroad or intentionally injuring parts of the body, has recently evolved into methods that deceive medical institutions and the Military Manpower Administration by pretending to be patients with conditions such as 'epilepsy.' The market for military service brokers who encourage evasion is also growing, leading to increasing calls for stronger surveillance and punishment of those who evade military service.

Fleeing Abroad and Intentional Injury

In 2002, singer Yoo Seung-jun (Steve Yoo) avoided military service by leaving the country for overseas concerts before enlistment and acquiring U.S. citizenship, eventually becoming banned from entering Korea. Subsequently, the 'Return Guarantee System' was abolished, and the Ministry of National Defense took a tough stance by enacting the 'Yoo Seung-jun Prevention Five Acts.'

Some violate the 'overseas travel permission obligation' by leaving for other countries around their enlistment period. According to the Military Manpower Administration, about 110 young men flee abroad each year to avoid military duty. These individuals do not return within the permitted period set by the Military Manpower Administration and remain hidden overseas until they turn 38, the age at which their enlistment obligation is exempted, after which they are free.

When military evaders enter Korea, measures such as employment restrictions, travel bans, and passport issuance restrictions can be imposed, but there is no way to forcibly bring them back. However, recently, a court ruled that a man, Mr. A, who evaded military service by illegally staying abroad and returned after the age when enlistment obligation expired, should be punished.

MC Mong stirred controversy after applying for seven enlistment postponements and being accused of intentional tooth extraction. In 2008, professional soccer players collectively dislocated their shoulder blades on purpose, underwent surgery, and obtained medical certificates to avoid military service, resulting in criminal punishment. In the 2000s, most military evasion methods involved intentionally damaging the body to lower physical grades and induce exemption from military service.

Currently, since July 2015, the Military Manpower Administration has been publicly disclosing the names, ages, and other personal information of those who evade military service on its website.

More Sophisticated Military Service Evasion... Common Among Ordinary People

Recently, military service evasion methods have become more sophisticated. The types of evasion methods increased significantly from 7 in 2012 to 47 in 2022. Over the past five years, the most frequently detected method was 'intentional weight control.'

According to data disclosed by Song Gap-seok of the Democratic Party of Korea, among 366 detected cases of military service evasion from 2017 to 2022, 30% involved deliberately gaining or losing a significant amount of weight. This was followed by feigning mental illness (29%), intentional tattoos (15%), and falsifying academic records (4%).

Among these, the feigning of mental illness through an 'epilepsy diagnosis' has recently become controversial. Known as epilepsy, this disease is characterized by seizures occurring in a short period. Military evaders exploited the fact that they could be exempted if they pretended to be epilepsy patients regardless of abnormal brainwave findings. Other cases detected include feigning intellectual disabilities and pupil abnormalities, or engaging in intense jumping and heavy smoking before having blood pressure measured at a hospital to obtain a high reading and a medical certificate.

In the past, attempts at military service corruption were mainly by children of public officials, celebrities, and athletes. This is because the roughly two-year gap caused by military service during their most active career period could lead to career interruption.

However, recently, attempts to evade military service have increased significantly among ordinary people regardless of occupation, making military exemption no longer just a story about celebrities. Even their parents are involved in military corruption, receiving military evasion scenarios from military brokers.

Meanwhile, the phenomenon of avoiding military service is also seen in the United States. The Associated Press explained that the biggest reasons young Americans avoid enlistment are 'fear of death,' 'concerns about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),' and 'leaving friends and family.'

Alex Pink, the U.S. Army's marketing chief, said, "Young people these days see the military as disconnected from their lives," adding, "They do not view the military as a safe and good career path and feel that enlisting means putting their life and social career 'on hold.'"

As the tendency among young Americans to avoid enlistment has strengthened recently, the U.S. military experienced its worst recruitment performance in decades last year.