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Thu, August 11, 2022 | 14:02
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Singer said he see ghosts to evade military service
'귀신 보인다' 정신병 가장해 병역기피 가수에 실형
Posted : 2015-04-28 17:30
Updated : 2015-04-28 19:31
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By Kim Se-jeong

Kim Woo-joo
Kim Woo-joo
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.


'귀신 보인다' 정신병 가장해 병역기피 가수에 실형

정신병을 앓는 것처럼 거짓 행세하며 현역병 복무를 피하려 한 연예인이 실형을 받았다.

서울중앙지법 형사19단독 조정래 판사는 힙합 가수 김우주(30)씨에게 '병역의무를 기피하거나 감면받을 목적으로 속임수를 썼다'며 징역 1년을 선고했다고 28일 밝혔다.

김씨는 2004년 신체검사 결과 현역 입대 대상자 판정을 받았지만 대학교 재학, 대학원 편입 등을 들어 수년간 입대를 연기해왔다.

그러나 연기 사유가 다 떨어지자 그때부터는 정신병 환자 행세를 해 병역을 면제받기로 마음먹고 치료를 받기 시작했다.

그는 2012년 3월∼2014년 5월 정신과에 42차례 방문해 '8년 전부터 귀신이 보이기 시작했다. 귀신 때문에 놀라 쓰러져 응급실에 실려 갔다'고 말했다.

'불안해서 바깥출입을 거의 하지 않는다'고 거짓 증상을 호소해 의사로부터 정신병 진단서를 받았다. 그는 결국 2014년 10월 공익 요원 대상자가 됐다.

순조롭게 현역병 입대를 피해가는 듯했던 김씨는 그러나 누군가 그의 행각을 병무청에 제보하는 바람에 덜미가 잡히고 말았다.

재판부는 '기피행위가 일회성이 아닌 장기간에 계획적으로 이뤄져 죄질이 좋지 않다'며 '국방의 의무라는 헌법 요청과 병역법 목적을 고려하면 엄한 처벌이 요구된다'고 밝혔다.

힙합그룹 멤버였던 김씨는 2012년 이후 별다른 음악 활동이 없는 상태다. '사랑해' 등을 부른 발라드 가수 김우주씨와는 동명이인이다. (연합뉴스)
Emailskim@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
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