Pretended Mental Illness for Prescriptions... 30s Man Gets Suspended Sentence for Military Evasion

Pretended to Have Bipolar Disorder to Obtain Medication from Doctor
Court: "An Act That Undermines the Foundation of the Military Service System"

A man in his 30s who attempted to evade military service by feigning bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness) and obtaining large quantities of psychiatric medication has received a suspended prison sentence.

On the 21st, Judge Lee Joon-goo of the 7th Criminal Division of the Seoul Eastern District Court announced that he had sentenced Mr. A (30), who was indicted on charges of violating the Military Service Act, to one year in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered him to complete 120 hours of community service.

Seoul Eastern District Court, Songpa-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jaehyun Park

Mr. A was brought to trial on charges of attempting to avoid military service by pretending to suffer from bipolar disorder, receiving medical treatment 27 times and being prescribed large quantities of psychiatric medication, which led to him being classified as requiring further medical examination.

From August 2022 to September of the following year, Mr. A visited a psychiatrist at a hospital in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, on 27 occasions, claiming that he repeatedly experienced symptoms of mania and depression. During this period, he was repeatedly prescribed large amounts of psychiatric medication; however, investigations revealed that he did not actually take the medication.

According to current military service assessment standards, if a person receives medication for bipolar disorder for more than six months or is hospitalized for more than one month and is found to have social or occupational functional impairment, they are classified as grade 4 supplementary service.

In April 2023, Mr. A obtained a copy of his medical records falsely stating that he had been continuously taking the prescribed medication, along with a military medical certificate indicating that he required treatment for more than one year. He submitted these documents to the No. 1 Physical Examination Center of the Seoul Regional Military Manpower Administration, was classified as grade 7 for re-examination, and in September of the same year, ultimately received a grade 4 supplementary service classification.

Judge Lee stated, "He lied about taking high doses of psychiatric medication in order to obtain a reduced military service obligation and received a grade 4 supplementary service classification. Given the circumstances and method of the crime, his culpability is not minor," adding, "As this undermines the foundation of the military service system, there is a need for strict punishment."

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