A South Korean man was sentenced to 1 12 months in jail for intentionally binge-eating to keep away from necessary army service. Forward of his army bodily examination, the 26-year-old, whose identify has not been disclosed, deliberately gained important weight, reaching over 102 kg (225 lbs), to be categorised as unfit for fight roles and assigned to a non-combat authorities place, Korean Herald reported.
The person reportedly consumed massive quantities of meals, together with prompt noodles, pizza, and fried rooster, to quickly achieve weight. He allegedly gained 24 kg (52.8 lbs) in simply three months, taking his physique mass index (BMI) to 37.8, which is taken into account overweight. The person deliberate to make use of his weight achieve as a cause to be exempt from army service, which is necessary for able-bodied Korean males between the ages of 18 and 35.
Nevertheless, his scheme was found, and he was subsequently charged with trying to evade army service. Whereas the utmost penalty for draft evasion is three years, his sentence was decreased as a consequence of his lack of prior offences and a promise to serve faithfully. He acquired a one-year suspended sentence, whereas his pal, who helped him double his each day meals consumption, bought six months in jail.
The person’s pal testified in court docket that he had jokingly steered the load achieve plan, by no means anticipating his pal to take it significantly and truly undergo with it.
All able-bodied males in South Korea over 18 should serve within the military for at the least 18 months, as per the BBC. The coverage is rooted within the nation’s ongoing tensions with North Korea. This common conscription ensures a gentle provide of personnel for the armed forces, that are important for nationwide defence. Whereas exemptions exist for people with well being points or excellent achievements in fields like sports activities or arts, avoiding service by way of deliberate means is closely penalised.
In the same incident in 2018, a bunch of South Korean school graduates deliberately gained important weight by way of extreme consuming to keep away from necessary army service, primarily making an attempt to categorise themselves as too overweight to serve in fight roles.