this post was submitted on 24 Nov 2024
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South Korean man dodged draft by binge eating (www.bbc.com)
submitted 2 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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A court in South Korea has found a man guilty of trying to avoid mandatory military service by deliberately gaining weight, local media report.

The 26-year-old began binge eating before his physical examination for the draft, a judge in the capital, Seoul, said. He was categorised as obese, allowing him to serve in a non-combat role at a government agency.

The defendant received a one-year suspended sentence. A friend who devised a special regimen that doubled his daily food intake got a six-month suspended sentence, the Korea Herald newspaper reports, external.

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[–] [email protected] 28 points 2 days ago (2 children)

How did the authorities prove it was intentional?

Sounds like he wasn’t able to keep his mouth shut.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago

Hi-ooooooo

[–] [email protected] 29 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Maybe if folks don't want to do something and go to extreme lengths to avoid it then don't make them or rethink the whole idea of making anybody do it? Just a thought.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Yeah. In Switzerland we have mandatory military service, but if you really don’t wanna do it, you can do civil service for a long period of time instead.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

Interesting

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

A thought that doesn't include any consideration of the DMZ, or the hermit kingdom on the other side of it.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

Hmm, fair

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 days ago

I would too. Fuck dying for capitalism. Bill Gates can eat my ass.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Suspended sentence, so overall he pretty much got away with it.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

Depends if they made him do the military service anyway!

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 days ago

I mean I know people who voluntarily entered service (this is in the us) and did not like it and just gained wait till they were kicked out.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago

I am eating for my life!

[–] Jarvis2323 4 points 2 days ago

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/b0726097-fbcc-4fdb-9895-c5dc01181666

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Is South Korea involved in any active combat (besides guarding the DMZ)? Or was he trying to avoid the training? I don't blame him either way, but it seems low reward for the high risk.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

What happens is that people are graded based on their health condition to see if they're suitable candidate for conscription. Obviously, conscripting someone without a leg or a hand would be a bit silly. When you're too overweight when that happens, you get put into 4급 (or lower), which means you're unfit for conscription, and get put into alternative service instead. Since conscription lasts at least 1.5 years, it's kinda worth it if you make it. Currently, for someone who is 174cm tall, you have to be below 45kg or above 121kg.