Prosecutors Seek 4 Years Imprisonment and 200 Million Won Fine for Military Service Broker Faking Epilepsy

The prosecution requested the court to sentence a broker who devised a 'false epilepsy' scenario to help conscripts evade military service to 4 years in prison and impose a fine of 217.6 million KRW.

At a trial held at 10 a.m. on the 10th before Judge Kim Yoon-hee of the Seoul Southern District Court Criminal Division 9, the prosecution demanded 4 years imprisonment and a fine of 217.6 million KRW for Kim Mo (37), a military service broker accused of violating the Military Service Act. The prosecution also requested the court to confiscate contracts between Kim and the clients seeking to evade military service, as well as Kim’s military evasion scenarios.

According to the prosecution, Kim was arrested and indicted in January on charges of opening an online military service consultation cafe to lure conscripts and others, providing scenarios on how to feign epilepsy to evade military service, and collecting consultation fees ranging from a minimum of 3 million KRW to a maximum of 110 million KRW per case. He is a different broker from Gu Mo (47), who was arrested and indicted in December last year.

The prosecution stated, "Although Kim is a first-time offender who has confessed and shown remorse, the crime is serious as it undermines the fair military service system," adding, "We also considered that he trained multiple evaders and meticulously planned the crime."

Kim’s defense stated, "It is clear that Kim’s involvement in military evasion for economic gain is wrong," but added, "We ask for leniency considering he is a husband and the head of the family."

Kim also tearfully said, "I will become a respectable father who can tell my children to obey laws and rules," and apologized, saying, "I am sorry for causing a great scandal."

The prosecution requested 1 year imprisonment each for two of the clients who were tried together for military evasion, and 2 years imprisonment each for the others.