Authorities in South Korea vowed on Tuesday to “make an example” on Wednesday of a dozen music students who allegedly gained weight to avoid the country’s mandatory military service.
According to South Korea’s Military Manpower Administration, the group exchanged messages through KakaoTalk, a messaging app similar to WhatsApp, about how they could rapidly put on weight. Some of their methods included consuming large amounts of protein powder and drinking thick aloe beverage to deceptively increase their weight on the day of the exam.
“The Military Manpower Administration, via thorough investigation, will do our best to root out military service evasion crime and make an example of the violators so that a fair and just military service culture can take root,” the organization said in a statement.
The students, all of whom classical music majors at a university in Seoul, reportedly feared that being assigned to military service would damage their career prospects, so instead sought to serve as social service personnel, a route they believed would provide them more time to practice their instruments.
Officials have now sent details of the incident to public prosecutors who will examine whether to press charges against the group. Should they be found guilty, they will have to undergo another physical examination and may have to enroll after all.
Under South Korean law, all men between 18 and 35 must participate in at least 21 months of military service, although the country’s leftist President Moon Jae-in has pledged to reduce this to 18 months by 2020. The government has also pledged to find alternatives for those who do not wish to join, while the country’s Constitutional Court ruled in June that conscientious objectors may no longer be sent to jail.
The law is popular among conservatives, who argue it provides vital discipline and personal development to young men, while also helping to protect a nation still technically at war with North Korea. All entrants are required to meet certain requirements of height, education, and body mass index, as well as other factors such as eyesight, mental health, and whether they have a criminal record.
As noted by Yonhap News Agency in June, intentional weight control was the common tactic used by young South Korean’s attempting to avoid military service in 2017.
“Some young South Koreans have been caught using creepy methods – cutting fingers, having full-body tattoos and removing teeth to dodge their military service,” the report noted.
“In case a would-be draftee is suspected of trying to dodge the draft by resorting to intentional weight control, the administration usually defers its decision on whether he is judged eligible for conscription in a medical checkup and has him undergo an additional, unexpected medical checkup,” it continues.
Follow Ben Kew on Facebook, Twitter at @ben_kew, or email him at bkew@breitbart.com.
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