SEOUL– South Korea’s military recruitment agency on Thursday disclosed personal information about 342 people accused of dodging mandatory military service.
The disclosure of their names, ages, addresses and other details came as part of the efforts by the Military Manpower Administration to pressure them to fulfill their service and prevent potential draft dodgers, officials said.
The list included 92 men who apparently dodged their service as active-duty soldiers and 30 others who attempted to evade their alternative assignments as social work personnel, the administration said.
Thirty other people did not show up for physical checkups meant to determine whether they are fit enough for active-duty service, while 190 stayed overseas without reporting to the administration.
All able-bodied South Korean men must carry out compulsory service for about two years in a country that faces constant security threats from North Korea.
While those with serious physical problems are subject to conscription exemptions, those with relatively minor issues can be assigned to alternative roles, including social service duties.
The administration said that in March, it notified the men in question of their military duty and gave them six months to explain the reasons for the failure to join the military. Then a committee reviewed each case to finalize the list.
The administration has disclosed such a list annually on the agency’s website since 2016.
Source: Yonhap News Agency