Man convicted of binge-eating to dodge draft, according to reports
A South Korean man has turned to binge-eating in preparation for his physical examination for the military draft, as reported by media outlets. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
A 26-year-old South Korean man has been convicted of purposely gaining weight to avoid his mandatory military service, as reported by the Korea Herald on Sunday.
The unnamed individual reportedly increased his daily food intake significantly and consumed excessive amounts of water before his military draft physical examination, which is required of all able-bodied men in South Korea. A district court judge noted that he received a one-year suspended sentence for his actions.
Initially, the man was classified as Grade 2 during his first physical assessment in October 2017, marking him as fit for combat roles. However, he successfully postponed his service by claiming he needed to focus on university entrance exams.
Five years later, upon becoming eligible for a new physical evaluation, he allegedly began binge eating and doubled his meal sizes over a three-month period.
At the conclusive examination last year, the individual weighed over 102kg and was deemed obese, which allowed him to avoid military service and take on a non-combat position at a government agency.
A friend who suggested this strategy and allegedly created the dietary plan that facilitated the substantial weight gain received a six-month suspended prison sentence. This accomplice has professed his innocence regarding aiding and abetting, arguing he never expected his friend to take such drastic measures.
In a related case from 2018, a group of 12 classical music students in Seoul also engaged in intentional weight gain to evade military service. They reportedly consumed protein powder and large quantities of aloe vera juice to be classified as obese. Ultimately, they were deemed too overweight for conscription and were assigned to government services instead.
Alejandro Jose Martinez for TROIB News
The unnamed individual reportedly increased his daily food intake significantly and consumed excessive amounts of water before his military draft physical examination, which is required of all able-bodied men in South Korea. A district court judge noted that he received a one-year suspended sentence for his actions.
Initially, the man was classified as Grade 2 during his first physical assessment in October 2017, marking him as fit for combat roles. However, he successfully postponed his service by claiming he needed to focus on university entrance exams.
Five years later, upon becoming eligible for a new physical evaluation, he allegedly began binge eating and doubled his meal sizes over a three-month period.
At the conclusive examination last year, the individual weighed over 102kg and was deemed obese, which allowed him to avoid military service and take on a non-combat position at a government agency.
A friend who suggested this strategy and allegedly created the dietary plan that facilitated the substantial weight gain received a six-month suspended prison sentence. This accomplice has professed his innocence regarding aiding and abetting, arguing he never expected his friend to take such drastic measures.
In a related case from 2018, a group of 12 classical music students in Seoul also engaged in intentional weight gain to evade military service. They reportedly consumed protein powder and large quantities of aloe vera juice to be classified as obese. Ultimately, they were deemed too overweight for conscription and were assigned to government services instead.
Alejandro Jose Martinez for TROIB News
