兵役逃れようと２０キロ増量　２６歳男に禁錮１年　韓国

【ソウルＡＦＰ＝時事】韓国ソウル東部地方裁判所は２６日、わざと体重を増やして兵役を逃れようとしたとして２６歳の男に今月、禁錮１年、執行猶予２年の判決を言い渡したとＡＦＰに明らかにした。（写真は資料写真）
　北朝鮮との緊張関係が続く韓国では、３０歳未満の男性全員に１８か月以上の兵役が義務付けられており、健康上の問題がある場合は２１か月間の代替服務を命じられる。
　男は今月、兵役に不適格と見なされることを狙い、故意に過食して体重を増やしたとして、兵役法違反で有罪を言い渡された。
　男は、肥満などの判定に用いられる体格指数（ＢＭＩ）が３５を超えると標準的な兵役から免除されることを知って、知人が考えた特別な食事法を実践して体重増加を図った。食事量を倍増し、検査前には大量の水を摂取。
　２０１７年には身長１６９センチ、体重８３キロだったが、地裁によると、２０２２年の体重は１０５キロ、２０２３年には１０２キロになっていた。
　協力した知人も、兵役法違反の幇助（ほうじょ）罪で有罪判決を受け、禁錮６月（執行猶予１年）を言い渡された。
　裁判所は男について、「過ちを認め、真面目に軍務を果たす意向を示している」としている。
　昨年は３５５人が違法に兵役を逃れたと見なされ、対象者の氏名・年齢などのリストが公表されるようになった２０１５年以降で最多となった。
　有名人が病気と偽って兵役を逃れ、完全に免除されるケースもある。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/11/27-17:01）

A South Korean man was handed a suspended prison sentence for intentionally gaining weight in a bid to avoid bootcamp and other strenuous activities in military service, a Seoul court told AFP Tuesday.
All South Korean men under the age of 30 must perform around two years of military service, mainly because the country remains technically at war with nuclear-armed North Korea.
While all able-bodied men must serve in the military, people with health issues may be assigned alternative duties, which can include working in an office for a municipal government.
A 26-year-old man was sentenced earlier this month to one year in prison -- suspended for two years -- for violating the Military Service Act after deliberately binge-eating to gain weight and be classified as unfit for active duty.
After learning that a body mass index (BMI) of over 35 could exempt him from standard military assignments, the man started trying to put on weight by following a special regime designed by an acquaintance.
The plan involved doubling his food intake and consuming large amounts of water before medical evaluations.
In 2017, the man was measured at 169 centimetres (5 feet 6 inches) tall and weighing 83 kilograms (183 pounds).
By 2022, he weighed 105 kilograms, and in 2023 he weighed 102 kilograms, the Seoul Eastern District Court told AFP.
The acquaintance who encouraged him was also convicted of aiding the legal violation and received a six-month prison term, suspended for one year.
The court noted that the defendant has admitted his wrongdoing and expressed willingness to fulfil his military duty sincerely.
The Military Manpower Administration maintains a public list of evaders, displaying their names, ages, registered addresses, and reasons for avoidance.
In 2023, 355 people evaded mandatory military service illegally, the highest since the public listing began in 2015.
Famous figures have been caught faking illnesses to evade or to be exempted completely from military service, including a high-profile celebrity who was accused of pulling his teeth out.
Last year, Ravi, a rapper of the K-pop group VIXX, received a suspended sentence after falsifying medical documents that he suffered from epilepsy.
He apologised on social media, saying he had made a foolish decision because he was desperate to delay his military service.