S Korean puts on 20 kg in bid to eat his way out of draft

A South Korean man was handed a suspended prison sentence for intentionally gaining weight in a bid to avoid bootcamp and other strenuous activities in military service, a Seoul court told AFP Tuesday.

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 Act 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 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighed 83 kg. By 2022, "he weighed 105 kg and in 2023 he weighed 102 kg," the Seoul Eastern District Court told AFP.

The acquaintance who encouraged him was also convicted of aiding the legal violation and received a six-month prison term, suspended for one year.

The court noted that the "defendant has admitted his wrongdoing and expressed willingness to fulfil his military duty sincerely".