The government is liable for a military staff member's hair loss due to extreme stress related to his duties, a local court ruled Sunday.

The Seoul Administrative Court ordered the Ministry of Patriot and Veteran Affairs to acknowledge 27-year-old Lee as a "man of national merit" and compensate him monthly for the loss of all his hair.

According to the court, Kim was placed in charge of postal exchanges (PXs) of a land force squadron in September 2006. He claimed that he had to take care of a total of three PXs and had to work day and night.

He first found circular balding in February 2007 and was treated at a military hospital. But the problem soon spread to other areas including his eyebrows, armpits and the rest of his scalp and body.

He was discharged from the service in November of the same year.

Lee claimed his baldness did not improve and sued the government.

The court said, "Lee was in a good condition before he was located to the PXs and it is apparent that the excessive workload caused the hair loss," the court said.

bjs@koreatimes.co.kr