LAST-DITCH EFFORT

South Korean Man Convicted After Binge Eating to Dodge Military Service

The 26-year-old aimed to be designated as too obese to serve in combat roles.

A South Korean man has been found guilty of dodging his required military service after he binge ate for several months in hopes of becoming too obese to serve in a combat role. The 26-year-old, whose name was not released, was sentenced to a year in prison over the scheme, the Telegraph reported. The man sought help from a friend who provided him with a high-calorie meal plan to reach a body mass index (BMI) high enough to be dismissed for combat roles. “The defendant acknowledged his wrongdoing and expressed a commitment to fulfilling his military duty‚” said the Seoul eastern district court, local media reported. It’s unclear how authorities became aware of the binge-eating man’s plan. Men in the country under the age of 30 are required to fulfill two years of military service.