Six Months in Prison, One-Year Suspension
"Consideration Given to Pledge to Complete Normal Military Service Within This Year"
A man in his 20s who deliberately lost weight down to 50 kg at a height of 180 cm to wait for conscription as a social service agent instead of active duty was sentenced to a suspended prison term.
On the 28th, Yonhap News reported that the Chuncheon District Court Wonju Branch Criminal Division 1 (Presiding Judge Kim Dohyung) sentenced A (22), who was indicted for violating the Military Service Act, to six months in prison with a one-year suspension.
A was prosecuted for deliberately losing weight after confirming in May 2022 that if his weight fell below 53 kg at his height, he would be classified as underweight and receive a physical grade 4, making him eligible for social service agent conscription. It is known that A usually weighed around 55-56 kg at a height of about 180 cm.
At the Seoul Regional Military Manpower Administration in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, examinees are undergoing physical examinations. Photo by Kim Hyun-min
He intentionally reduced his weight by restricting food and water intake and increasing exercise to sweat more. Continuing this method, A recorded 50.9 kg at the initial military physical examination in May 2022, receiving a designation for unscheduled re-measurement. He then weighed 52 kg at the re-measurement conducted in August of the same year, ultimately being classified as physical grade 4 and eligible for social service agent conscription.
The court judged that A damaged his body to reduce his military service obligation. The court stated, "The defendant committed the crime to avoid active duty service, which is a mitigating circumstance compared to cases where one tries to evade military service altogether," and added, "He pledged to fulfill his normal military service within this year and is a first-time offender."
Meanwhile, last month, a man in his 20s who was classified as a social service agent based on a false medical certificate also received a suspended prison sentence.
On the 8th of last month, the Daegu District Court Criminal Division 1 (Presiding Judge Park Seongin) announced that B (26), indicted for violating the Military Service Act, was sentenced to one year in prison with a two-year suspension. B was prosecuted for submitting a hospital-issued military medical certificate, falsely claiming to have symptoms of depression in September 2023, to the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Regional Military Manpower Administration, resulting in a social service agent conscription (grade 4) classification.
Previously, over about nine months, he received treatment at a university hospital in Daegu, complaining of symptoms such as "I think I have developed social phobia" and "I quit delivery work and spend most of the day lying down at home," and obtained a military medical certificate. B also attempted to evade military service once by submitting a similar certificate to the Military Manpower Administration in December 2022. However, after being reclassified from grade 2 to active duty grade 3, he committed the offense again to receive the social service agent classification. It was revealed that B normally engaged in social activities such as working at a meat restaurant and exercising with friends.
The court explained, "The sentence was determined considering that the defendant has reflected on his wrongdoing and pledged to fulfill his military service obligation after the case's conclusion."
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