Number of military draft dodgers going abroad tops 900 over past 5 years

This photo shows a soldier taking part in joint landing drills in the southeastern port city of Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, Nov. 17. Courtesy of the Marine Corps

More than 900 Korean men evaded mandatory military service over the past five years by failing to return home after overseas travel, a ruling party lawmaker said Sunday.

Of the 3,127 draft dodgers identified between January 2021 and October 2025, 912 violated overseas travel rules, according to Hwang Hee, a lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party, citing data from the Military Manpower Administration.

In Korea, all able-bodied men must serve mandatory military service for at least 18 months.

Under the Military Service Act, men aged 25 and older who have not completed their military service must obtain approval from the Military Manpower Administration before traveling overseas or remaining abroad.

Violators face criminal complaints and restrictions on passport issuance until age 37.

Despite authorities' efforts to crack down on draft evasion, violations tied to overseas travel have continued to rise.

In 2021, the number of such draft dodgers came to 158, followed by 185 in 2022, 196 in 2023 and 197 in 2024, the data showed. In the first 10 months of this year, the number of such violators came to 176.

Those who failed to return after short-term overseas trips accounted for the largest share at 71.1 percent, or 648 cases.

But most of such violators have been left unpunished. Of the 912 violators, six received prison sentences, 17 suspended sentences and 25 had their indictments postponed, while 780 of them, or 85.5 percent, had their indictments or investigations completely stopped.