A total of 15 people have been indicted on charges of dodging or attempting to evade mandatory military service by posing as epilepsy patients, prosecutors said Thursday.
The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors Office said it has also indicted a 38-year-old broker, only identified by his surname Kim, on charges of helping the alleged dodgers, in violation of the Military Service Act.
Kim allegedly conspired with the military dodgers to fake symptoms of epilepsy during hospital visits and later submitted fabricated certificates to authorities between April 2020 and November 2021, prosecutors said.
Kim then allegedly pocketed a combined 261 million won (US$175,000) as a consulting fee, they said.
Among the alleged dodgers are a doctor, a professional gamer and a professional golfer, prosecutors said.
The prosecution office said it has also indicted six family members of the alleged dodgers on charges of paying consulting fees or giving false testimony about epilepsy symptoms.
All able-bodied Korean men are obliged to serve in the Army for 18 months, the Navy for 20 months or the Air Force for 18 months.
Source: Yonhap News Agency