Active Duty Enlistment Avoided by Diagnosing Intellectual Disability... Idol Group Leader Given Probation

An idol group member who even received a diagnosis of intellectual disability to avoid active military enlistment was sentenced to a suspended prison term.

On the 17th, Judge In Hyeong-jun of the Criminal Division 3 at the Seoul Northern District Court announced that he sentenced Ahn (32) to one year in prison with a two-year suspension and ordered 80 hours of community service for violating the Military Service Act.

Ahn was rated as Grade 1 in physical examination in July 2011 and Grade 2 in November 2017, qualifying for active duty enlistment, but he submitted a hospital diagnosis obtained by falsely claiming psychological issues and cognitive impairment symptoms, which led to a Grade 4 social service agent conscription decision in April 2020.

Investigations revealed that from October 2019 for seven months, despite having no particular mental problems, Ahn received medical treatment from a doctor by stating, "I feel very distressed and even have thoughts of wanting to die. My heart races for no reason, I have difficulty breathing, and I feel anxious."

Then, in May 2020, during a comprehensive psychological examination at a hospital, he gave exaggerated or distorted answers, resulting in a diagnosis of "mild intellectual disability level" and a medical certificate stating that at least one year of psychiatric observation and medication treatment was necessary, which he submitted to the Military Manpower Administration.

The court judged that since 2012 until 2022, Ahn had been planning choreography, costumes, performances, and fan meetings while aspiring to be a singer and later performing as a singer, concluding that "although he had no particular mental problems, he pretended as if he had intellectual disabilities to evade military service." However, the court took into account as favorable circumstances that Ahn admitted his wrongdoing, was a first-time offender, and pledged to fulfill his military duties.

Meanwhile, Ahn debuted in 2018 as the leader of a male idol group.