By Jun Ji-hye
The government is considering strengthening sanctions against those who were exempted from mandatory military service after giving up their Korean citizenship in an effort to prevent draft dodgers from taking improper advantage of a change of nationality.
Measures would include restricting their employment in Korea and increasing their taxes.
The Military Manpower Administration (MMA) said Friday that it has submitted the measures to the National Assembly Defense Committee as part of addressing problems raised during a parliamentary audit session.
Rep. Ahn Gyu-baek of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy claimed at the session last month that the number of those who were exempted from service through renunciation of citizenship has increased over the past three years to 4,386 in 2014 from 2,842 in 2012 and 3,075 in 2013.
Citing data submitted by the MMA, he also noted that 18 sons of high-ranking public officials were exempted from service this year after giving up their Korean citizenship.
The lawmaker added that there have also been cases where people stayed illegally in foreign countries without obtaining permanent residence and waited until they became 37, the age where they are old enough to be exempt from service.
In its report, the MMA said it is considering revising a relevant law to strengthen sanctions against those who have abandoned Korean citizenship without completing their military service.
“The change of nationality could be misused as a method to evade obligatory military service, and there have been limitations in the existing law to impose sanctions against them,” the report said. “In a case of dodging enlistment by changing nationality, we are considering restricting visa issuance and participation in various national procurement projects, and excluding them from being employed as high-ranking officials.”
An MMA official told reporters on the condition of anonymity that it is considering restricting the issuance of work visas for such draft dodgers.
“Imposing heavier inheritance and gift taxes on them is also under consideration,” he said.
If sons of civil servants change their nationality with the purpose of evading their required military service, their parents would be excluded from being appointed to high-ranking posts, the official added.
The MMA said it will entrust a research institute with investigating such measures further, as the possibility of overregulation has also been raised.
In 2011 and 2012, the Ministry of Justice said such measures would be difficult to enforce because they could be applied in cases when people are not trying to dodge military service.
All able-bodied Korean men are required to serve as soldiers for about two years as South and North Korea are still technically at war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty.
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