Man convicted of binge-eating to dodge draft, reports say
A South Korean man has turned to binge-eating ahead of his medical examination for military conscription, as reported by the media. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
A 26-year-old South Korean man has been convicted for intentionally gaining weight to avoid mandatory military service, as reported by the Korea Herald on Sunday.
The unnamed individual allegedly increased his daily food intake and consumed large amounts of water just prior to his physical examination for the military draft, which is required for all able-bodied men in South Korea. He received a one-year suspended sentence for this action, according to a district court judge quoted by the publication.
The report states that the man's initial physical exam in October 2017 classified him at Grade 2, the second-highest grade, qualifying him for combat duty. However, he was allowed to defer his service after claiming he needed to focus on university entrance exams.
Five years later, when he was due for another physical assessment, he reportedly began binge eating, effectively doubling his meal sizes over a three-month period.
At the final examination last year, he weighed in at over 102kg, categorizing him as obese, which allowed him to evade military service and instead serve in a non-combat role within a government agency.
A friend who suggested this tactic and helped create the diet that led to the significant weight gain received a six-month suspended prison sentence, according to the outlet. This accomplice has denied aiding and abetting, asserting he did not believe his friend would take such measures.
In a related case from 2018, a group of 12 college students studying classical music in Seoul intentionally gained weight to sidestep mandatory military service. They reportedly consumed protein powder and large quantities of aloe vera juice to achieve an obese classification.
Ultimately, they were deemed too overweight for conscription and ordered to serve in government roles instead.
Frederick R Cook for TROIB News
The unnamed individual allegedly increased his daily food intake and consumed large amounts of water just prior to his physical examination for the military draft, which is required for all able-bodied men in South Korea. He received a one-year suspended sentence for this action, according to a district court judge quoted by the publication.
The report states that the man's initial physical exam in October 2017 classified him at Grade 2, the second-highest grade, qualifying him for combat duty. However, he was allowed to defer his service after claiming he needed to focus on university entrance exams.
Five years later, when he was due for another physical assessment, he reportedly began binge eating, effectively doubling his meal sizes over a three-month period.
At the final examination last year, he weighed in at over 102kg, categorizing him as obese, which allowed him to evade military service and instead serve in a non-combat role within a government agency.
A friend who suggested this tactic and helped create the diet that led to the significant weight gain received a six-month suspended prison sentence, according to the outlet. This accomplice has denied aiding and abetting, asserting he did not believe his friend would take such measures.
In a related case from 2018, a group of 12 college students studying classical music in Seoul intentionally gained weight to sidestep mandatory military service. They reportedly consumed protein powder and large quantities of aloe vera juice to achieve an obese classification.
Ultimately, they were deemed too overweight for conscription and ordered to serve in government roles instead.
Frederick R Cook for TROIB News
