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| Pro football player Suk Hyun-jun appears at the Suwon District Court in Suwon, south of Seoul, June 1. Yonhap |
Pro football player Suk Hyun-jun was handed a suspended sentence on Thursday for violating the military service law.
The 31-year-old former national team player was indicted last year for his failure to comply with the Military Manpower Administration (MMA)'s order to return to Korea by June 3, 2019, from France, where he was playing for a pro football club.
Judge Kim Jae-hak of the Suwon District Court sentenced Suk to eight months in prison suspended for two years.
"Despite the expiration of the overseas stay permit, the defendant resided abroad and did not return home without providing justifiable reasons," the judge said in the ruling.
"Considering the seriousness of the offense and the purpose of the current law to ensure fair military service, severe punishment is inevitable."
But the judge also took into account the defendant's confession to the crime and his commitment to fulfilling his military duty.
The prosecution had initially sought a one-year prison sentence.
The 31-year-old forward spent most of his club career in Europe before signing with Jeonju Citizen FC, a K4 League club, in February.
While he was playing in France, Suk applied for an extension of his stay period in March 2019.
But his application was rejected and he subsequently received a notification to return to Korea by June 3, 2019.
Since he did not return without valid reasons, the MMA placed Suk on its list of draft dodgers later that year.
Suk has denied any intent to dodge conscription and promised to fulfill his military duty.
During the sentencing hearing, Suk appeared alongside his father and remained silent in front of reporters outside the court.
"He intends to fulfill his military duty faithfully," his father told reporters after the ruling.
When questioned about whether he intentionally delayed his return, the father said, "That is not true. He even paid a penalty fee to the club to return home." (Yonhap)
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