High-income actor dodges draft on grounds of poverty

A rising actor earning about 150 million won ($134,000) a year won exemption from military service by citing poverty, the state audit agency said Thursday, showing how South Korea’s conscription system is still riddled with loopholes.

The actor, whose identity was withheld, was declared fit to serve in the military in 2001, but repeatedly postponed his enlistment under a false pretext of preparing for a civil service exam until 2009.

In 2010, he was given a military exemption on grounds of economic difficulty, though he earned about 300 million won ($260,000) between 2007 and 2009, the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) said, announcing the results of its probe into conscription irregularities.

The audit agency also said the actor’s family spent about 7.3 million won ($6,300) on average per month, six times as much as the minimum cost of living for a family of three as of 2010.

The Military Manpower Administration (MMA) hands out exemptions to those who make less than 553,000 won ($480) per month. In addition to monthly income, wealth and family conditions are also taken into consideration.

Last year, a total of 1,952 men were exempted from the service due to economic difficulty, according to MMA spokesman Han Yun-kyu.

The BAI called on the head of the MMA to come up with measures to impose military duty on the actor in a reasonable manner.

Han said his administration was discussing how to handle the case and said it remains to be seen whether the actor will be drafted into the military.

The audit agency also called for punishment of two MMA officials over their misguided decision.

The latest case illustrated the loopholes in the conscription system in South Korea where all healthy men are required to serve about two years in the military to help deter North Korea’s possible aggression.

The 1950-53 Korean War ended in a cease-fire, not a peace treaty, leaving the two Koreas technically still at war. 

(Yonhap News)