To Avoid Military Service, Some South Koreans Add Weight or Fake Disability

While many young South Koreans consider military service a sacred duty, some resort to any means to avoid service

South Korean soldiers wearing chemical protective gears participate in a decontamination training at a stadium in Seoul on September 27, 2017. Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images

SEOUL—Hong Ki-soo, a 34-year-old Seoul resident, doesn’t have fond memories of his mandatory military service.

“It was really an awful time. I didn’t need it,” he said.