SEOUL: A South Korean court handed a man a suspended prison sentence for intentionally gaining wei­ght in a bid to avoid compulsory military service.

All South Korean men under the age of 30 must perform around two years of military service, mainly because the country remains technically at war with nuclear-armed North Korea.

While all able-bodied men must serve in the military, people with health issues may be assigned alternative duties, which can include working in an office for a municipal government.

A 26-year-old man was sentenced earlier this month to one year in prison —suspended for two years —for violating the military service law after deliberately binge-eating to gain weight and be classified as unfit for active duty.

After learning that a body mass index (BMI) of over 35 could exempt him from standard military assignments, the man started trying to put on weight by following a special regime designed by an acquaintance.

The plan involved doubling his food intake and consuming large amounts of water before medical evaluations.

In 2017, the man was measured at 169 centimetres (five feet six inches) tall and weighing 83 kilograms.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2024