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| Bae Sang-moon |
Bae loses suit to delay conscription
By Jung Min-ho
Bae Sang-moon, a Korean PGA Tour golf star, lost a lawsuit to delay his mandatory military service Wednesday.
The Daegu District Court ruled that it was fair for the Military Manpower Administration (MMA) to refuse to extend his overseas travel permit.
On the heels of the ruling, the 28-year-old, who is currently in Canada for the Canadian Open, said he respects the court decision and "will return to Korea to serve my military service."
Bae, a two-time PGA Tour winner, had been asked to return home by MMA after his overseas travel permit ran out at the end of last year.
After his request for extension was rejected, however, Bae filed an administrative suit on Jan. 16, saying that he would need more time overseas for upcoming competitions. He also filed a complaint with the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACCRC) for help.
However, the court said the MMA's suspicion that Bae may have been trying to dodge military service was reasonable.
"The plaintiff is not supposed to determine when to serve his time arbitrarily," the court said. "If he gets the privilege just because he is an excellent athlete who could make a fortune during his prime, it could demoralize everyone who does not have the privilege."
In Korea, men between 25 and 35 who have not yet completed their two-year mandatory military service need a special permit to stay overseas.
Bae, a U.S. green card holder, claimed that he should be considered an overseas resident; and therefore entitled to the permit.
However, the court said that he'd spent too much time in Korea over the past year to be considered one. He spent about 100 days in Korea in 2014 and is attending a graduate school here.
Meanwhile, the Central Administrative Appeals Commission under the ACCRC also ruled earlier in the day that there was nothing wrong with the MMA's refusal of Bae's request for a visa extension.
According to the commission, Bae earned more than 400 million won ($347,200) from Korean PGA Tour events.
"All things considered, including his U.S. residency, age and residence period in Korea, it would be right to refuse the extension. If he gets another extension, it would be difficult for him to do military service," the commission said.
Following the court ruling, Bae said he would accept the decision and apologized to the public for making trouble. "From the ruling, I learned that it is more of a priority for me to fulfill my duty as a Korean than to do my job as a golfer," he said.
He said he will soon decide when to return to Korea.
