A man in his 20s who was put on trial on charges of damaging his body through fasting and high-intensity exercise to be assigned as a social service agent received a suspended sentence.
On Jan. 1, Presiding Judge An Kyung-rok of the Daegu District Court Criminal Division 5 said A, in his 20s, who was indicted on charges of violating the Military Service Act, was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years.
After learning in Feb. 2021 that if the body mass index (BMI, Body Mass Index) is below 16, a person can be graded level 4 and assigned as a social service agent, A was brought to trial on charges of artificially losing weight by jumping rope 1,000 times every day from July to September of the same year and drastically reducing food intake for more than three days immediately before the examination.
At a height of 175 centimeters and previously weighing at least 50 kilograms, A measured 46.9 kilograms (BMI 15.3) at the first draft physical examination at the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Regional Military Manpower Administration on Sept. 16 of that year, and 47.8 kilograms (BMI 15.5) at the second examination on Nov. 29, and was assigned to supplemental service as a social service agent.
A argued that he only jumped rope to improve fitness and did not intentionally reduce food intake or restrict fluids, but a urine test indicated the possibility of "starvation or prolonged fasting." The court did not accept this claim, citing the content of messages between A and acquaintances.
The court said, "A intentionally lost weight to evade active-duty military service and there are indications he recommended this method to friends," adding, "the method did not amount to bodily mutilation or injury by physical means, and considering he was underweight from the outset, the degree of weight loss was not extremely large."