South Korean man convicted for gaining weight to avoid military service

A South Korean court has convicted a man for attempting to evade mandatory military service by deliberately gaining weight. 

The 26-year-old reportedly engaged in binge eating prior to his physical exam for the draft, and as a result, he was classified as obese. This allowed him to be assigned to a non-combat role at a government agency, a judge in Seoul explained, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The man was sentenced to one year in prison, with the sentence suspended. A friend who helped him follow a special diet plan, which involved doubling his daily food intake, received a six-month suspended sentence, the Korea Herald reported. In South Korea, all able-bodied men over the age of 18 are required to serve in the military for at least 18 months.

The defendant was initially deemed fit for combat duty during his first physical exam. However, during the final examination last year, he weighed over 102 kg (225 lbs, 16 stone), classifying him as severely obese. The man who suggested the binge dieting denied the charge of assisting in the scheme, claiming that he never thought his friend would actually follow through with it.

By Naila Huseynova