[2025 Audit] Three Out of Ten Military Service Evaders Still Assigned to Public Service or Exempted

Assemblyman Yoo Yongwon of the People Power Party

Three out of every ten individuals who evaded military service were still assigned to public service or exempted from duty even after receiving criminal penalties.

Assemblyman Yoo Yongwon of the People Power Party, a member of the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly, announced on October 20 that, according to data submitted by the Military Manpower Administration, about three out of every ten people who received criminal penalties for evading military service were subsequently reclassified as social service agents (Grade 4) or exempted (Grade 5) upon re-examination.

According to Assemblyman Yoo, among the 169 individuals who were convicted of military service evasion crimes (including imprisonment, suspended sentences, or suspended indictments) over the past five years, 37 people (about 22%) were assigned to social service, while 8 people (about 5%) were exempted from service. This rate is more than three times higher than the usual assignment rate for social service agents (7-8%) in standard military service examinations during the same period.

Assemblyman Yoo pointed out, "Those who avoided military service by manipulating medical examinations, feigning mental illness, intentionally controlling their weight, or getting tattoos are being assigned to public service or exempted at a much higher rate than ordinary young men even after legal punishment," adding, "This is a serious institutional loophole that fundamentally undermines trust in the military manpower administration."

He further stated, "Military service evaders are not simply rule-breakers, but criminals who have deceived the basic national duty of military service. The fact that such criminals are again being assigned to social service is inconsistent with public common sense," emphasizing, "It is urgent to make the re-examination procedures and criteria transparent and to improve the legal system so that, in principle, those with a history of military service evasion can serve active duty."