K-pop singer convicted of faking IQ of 60 to dodge draft

South Korean court said Wednesday it has sentenced a boy band member to a one-year jail term, suspended for two years, for faking a mental disability to avoid active military service.

Seoul Northern District Court handed the suspended term to the 32-year-old defendant, who was also ordered to fulfill 80 hours of community service for violating the Military Service Act. South Korean law stipulates that all able-bodied men are mandated to serve in the military for at least 18 months.

The defendant received a physical examination from the Military Manpower Administration twice, in 2011 and 2017, and both times were approved to serve active duty.

But he faked psychological symptoms and deliberately gave wrong answers in tests to have a local hospital diagnose him with mild mental disability, which qualifies him to apply for alternative service options for those deemed unfit for active duties.

His full-scale intelligence quotient, the average mean score for which is typically 100, was tested to be 60, with the doctors recommending treatment.

The court decided that he did not have a mental disability, considering that he had no problem while preparing for his debut and engaging in activities as a K-pop group member.

In handing out the verdict, court acknowledged that he had confessed to his wrongdoings had no criminal record, and had promised to fulfill his military duties.

The defendant, whose exact identity has been withheld by authorities, is a member of an all-male K-pop group that debuted in 2018.

By Yoon Min-sik(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)