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| Eight men have been accused of having dodged or attempted to evade military service by inducing temporary deafness, according to the Military Manpower Administration (MMA), Tuesday. Seen in the photo are a bicycle and air horns which they used to induce transient hearing impairment. Korea Times photo by Jung Da-min |
By Jung Da-min
The military recruitment agency has uncovered a new method used by some able-bodied men to dodge military service ― inducing transient hearing impairment by exposing themselves to excessively loud noise right before their physical check.
The Military Manpower Administration (MMA) said Tuesday eight men were found to have dodged or attempted to evade military service using this method, without revealing their names.
They exposed themselves to the high-pitched sounds of bicycle and air horns right before they had their hearing tested, it said.
Among them, six were exempted from service while the other two were caught while attempting to evade conscription.
The MMA started an investigation after receiving information in December 2017 that alleged a former national cyclist used this draft-dodging method, and found there was a broker behind it.
The broker, 32, one of the eight people involved, got himself a military exemption using the method and was paid between 12 million won ($10,617) and 50 million won by the other seven to show them how to induce the hearing loss.
The eight, including the broker, the former competitive cyclist and an internet game broadcasting jockey, got to know each other through internet communities or mutual friends.
The MMA also accused three others ― who had completed their military service ― of assisting the broker as they received money from him.
The administration said it was the first time since it introduced the Special Judicial Police system in 2012 that a broker was found to have offered fraudulent means to get military exemptions.
It said it will strengthen the medical checkup to prevent similar draft-dodging cases, while also investigating about 1,500 men who have been exempted from military service due to a hearing disability over the past seven years.
The eight men will face a trial and later have their hearing retested before having to serve their due military service terms.
