South Korean men undergo medical checkups for conscription at a Military Manpower Administration office in Suwon, 30 kilometers south of Seoul, on Feb. 1, 2023. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, July 11 (Korea Bizwire) — A number of individuals unfit for military service were erroneously enlisted due to errors in their physical examinations.
The Military Manpower Administration (MMA) said that four individuals unfit for military service were mistakenly enlisted due to errors in their physical examinations, which took place between 2016 and April of the previous year.
These individuals had a body mass index (BMI) of over 35, exceeding the threshold that disqualifies them from military duty.
Regrettably, the doctor responsible for conducting their physical examinations neglected to verify the data, resulting in their enlistment.
In May of last year, upon the arrival of these unfit recruits at an army recruit training center, a challenge arose in finding properly sized uniforms. Subsequently, during discussions with the MMA, the error was uncovered.
One of the individuals had already been discharged from the military after enlisting in 2019, while another enlisted in March of the preceding year and intends to be discharged this September.
The third person became aware of the error in the physical examination last May and was subsequently reassigned to perform supplementary military service.
The fourth person underwent a change in plans and was assigned to perform supplementary service prior to official enlistment in the military.
“The doctor in charge of the physical examination made an error,” an official at the MMA said.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
