Man sentenced to prison for overeating to avoid military service

SEOUL, South Korea (WKRC) – A 26-year-old man was sentenced to prison for deliberately gaining weight to avoid compulsory military service, local media reported.

A South Korean man who reportedly doubled his food intake in the weeks leading up to his military physical was sentenced by a Korean court after being found guilty of evading military conscription, according to The Korean Herald. His friend, who masterminded the gluttony plan, also received a six-month prison sentence.

By the time of the exam, the five-foot-six man weighed 225 pounds, qualifying him for a non-combat role that would allow him to commute from home. Military service is compulsory for all able-bodied men in South Korea.

According to the Herald, the court imposed a short sentence with a two-year deferment, citing the man’s lack of criminal record and his promise to serve conscientiously in the army.

The man’s friend told the court he suggested the weight gain program as a joke and never intended for his friend to follow through with it. Dodging military conscription in South Korea can result in a maximum penalty of three years in prison.