By Kim Se-jeong
A Seoul court sentenced singer Kim Woo-joo to one year in prison, Monday, for attempting to evade mandatory military duty by lying about his mental health.
The Seoul Central District Court said the 30-year-old singer was charged with using deceptive tactics to evade conscription and to reduce the service duration.
Every man in Korea is required to serve in the military after he turns 18.
"For Kim, it was not a one-time attempt. He continued to deceive authorities. Serving the military is a constitutional duty for men and his attempts deserve harsh punishment," Judge Cho Jeong-rae said in reading the verdict.
In 2004, the singer received his conscription notice and delayed it a couple of times, citing his continuing education.
When he ran out excuses, he began to claim that he suffered hallucinations and was seeing ghosts. He submitted records of 42 fake visits to mental hospitals between March 2012 and May 2014, and received a lighter military duty. During an investigation, he claimed that he saw ghosts for eight years and was even taken to emergency rooms because of this.
The Military Manpower Administration launched an investigation after receiving a report last year that he was lying.
Born in 1985, Kim is a hip-hop singer and owns an entertainment agency.
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| Kim Woo-joo |
The Seoul Central District Court said the 30-year-old singer was charged with using deceptive tactics to evade conscription and to reduce the service duration.
Every man in Korea is required to serve in the military after he turns 18.
"For Kim, it was not a one-time attempt. He continued to deceive authorities. Serving the military is a constitutional duty for men and his attempts deserve harsh punishment," Judge Cho Jeong-rae said in reading the verdict.
In 2004, the singer received his conscription notice and delayed it a couple of times, citing his continuing education.
When he ran out excuses, he began to claim that he suffered hallucinations and was seeing ghosts. He submitted records of 42 fake visits to mental hospitals between March 2012 and May 2014, and received a lighter military duty. During an investigation, he claimed that he saw ghosts for eight years and was even taken to emergency rooms because of this.
The Military Manpower Administration launched an investigation after receiving a report last year that he was lying.
Born in 1985, Kim is a hip-hop singer and owns an entertainment agency.
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