SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean man has been sentenced to a suspended prison term for deliberately gaining more than 20 kilograms (44 pounds) to evade a tougher role in the country’s military conscription system, a Seoul court said Tuesday.
In South Korea, all able-bodied men must serve in the military for 18-21 months, but individuals with health issues can instead carry out their duties at non-military facilities such as welfare centers and community service centers. If their problems are serious, they are exempted from their military duties.
The Seoul Eastern District Court said it sentenced the man to one year in prison, suspended for two years, for violating the country’s military service act.
The court said an acquittance of the man received a suspended 1-year prison term for aiding his crime.
Local media reported they are friends, both aged 26, but the court said it couldn’t confirm the reports.
An exam in 2017 found the man suitable to become an active-duty soldier at 169 centimeters (5 feet 6 inches) tall and weighting 83 kilograms (183 pounds). But with the advice of his acquaintance that he could get a social service grade if he was overweight, he doubled his daily food consumption, focused on eating high-calorie food products and quit his part-time job as a delivery worker, according to the court’s public affairs office.
In three physical exams from 2022-2023, the man weighted 102-105 kilograms (225-231 pounds), a weight that made him fit for social service. Just before those exams, he drank a large amount of water as well, according to the court.
It was unclear how the crime was caught and whether the man began serving his military duty before he was tried. The court only said the man had promised to fulfill his military duty faithfully.
The court said both the defendants and prosecutors didn’t appeal the Nov. 13 ruling.
South Korea maintains a military conscription system due to threats from rival North Korea. But exemptions or dodging of military duties is a highly sensitive domestic issue, because the draft forces young men to suspend their studies or professional careers.
Each year, about 50-60 cases of dodging military duties have been reported, according to the Military Manpower Administration. It said common ways to evade military duties include gaining or losing weight excessively or men with health issues not taking necessary medical treatments before physical tests.
FILE- South Korean army soldiers conduct an anti-terror drill as part of the Ulchi Taeguk exercise at a park in Seoul, South Korea, May 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)
LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Tyrese Hunter scored 17 of his 26 points after halftime to lead Memphis to a 99-97 overtime win against two-time defending national champion and second-ranked UConn on Monday in the first round of the Maui Invitational.
Hunter shot 7 of 10 from 3-point range for the Tigers (5-0), who were 12 of 22 from beyond at the arc as a team. PJ Haggerty had 22 points and five assists, Colby Rogers had 19 points and Dain Dainja scored 14.
Tarris Reed Jr. had 22 points and 11 rebounds off the bench for the Huskies (4-1). Alex Karaban had 19 points and six assists, and Jaylin Stewart scored 16.
Memphis led by as many as 13 with about four minutes left in regulation, but UConn chipped away and eventually tied it on Solo Ball’s 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds remaining.
Memphis: The Tigers ranked second nationally in field goal percentage going into the game and shot it at a 54.7% clip.
UConn: The Huskies saw their string of 17 consecutive wins dating back to February come to an end.
The teams were tied at 92 with less than a minute remaining in overtime when UConn coach Dan Hurley was assessed a technical foul for his displeasure with an over-the-back call against Liam McNeeley. PJ Carter hit four straight free throws — two for the tech and the other pair for the personal foul — to give Memphis a 96-92 lead with 40.3 seconds to play.
UConn had three players foul out. Memphis attempted 40 free throws and made 29 of them.
Memphis will play Michigan State on Tuesday in the second round of the invitational, and UConn will play Colorado in the consolation bracket.
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Memphis guard Baraka Okojie (6) guards against UConn guard Aidan Mahaney (20) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Maui Invitational Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
UConn guard Hassan Diarra (10) loses the ball against Memphis center Moussa Cisse, left, and guard PJ Haggerty (4) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Maui Invitational Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
UConn forward Jaylin Stewart (3) dunks as Memphis forward Dain Dainja (42) watches during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Maui Invitational Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Memphis guard Tyrese Hunter goes up to the basket against UConn guard Hassan Diarra (10) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Maui Invitational Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
UConn head coach Dan Hurley huddles with his team, including guard Solo Ball (1), forward Liam McNeeley (30) and forward Alex Karaban (11) before facing Memphis in an NCAA college basketball game at the Maui Invitational Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
UConn head coach Dan Hurley reacts on the sideline during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Memphis at the Maui Invitational Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
UConn forward Alex Karaban (11) shoots against Memphis center Moussa Cisse (32) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Maui Invitational Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Memphis forward Dain Dainja (42) defends against UConn guard Aidan Mahaney (20) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Maui Invitational Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
UConn forward Alex Karaban (11) reacts during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Memphis at the Maui Invitational Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
UConn forward Alex Karaban moves the ball against Memphis forward Nicholas Jourdain during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Maui Invitational Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Memphis center Moussa Cisse stretches before an NCAA college basketball game against UConn at the Maui Invitational Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Maui County mayor Richard Bissen, left, talks with an official before an NCAA college basketball game between UConn and Memphis at the Maui Invitational Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Memphis guard Colby Rogers, right, celebrates a 99-97 win in overtime as UConn guard Hassan Diarra, left, lies on the ground in an NCAA college basketball game at the Maui Invitational Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Memphis guard PJ Haggerty, left, reacts to beating UConn 99-97 in overtime in an NCAA college basketball game at the Maui Invitational Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
UConn center Tarris Reed Jr. (5) has his shot blocked by Memphis center Moussa Cisse, right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Maui Invitational Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
