The defence ministry said Friday that it will tighten physical examination rules for the compulsory military service, making it harder to get exemption from active duty for health reasons.
According to the revised rules set to take effect next year, those with extreme nearsightedness or farsightedness will be conscripted into active military service if their eyesight problems can be corrected by glasses and
other measures.
All physically and mentally fit young South Korean men must serve in the military for 21 months, making up the South's 655,000-strong forces that stand against North Korea's 1.2-million armed forces.
Under the current rules, individuals with extremely poor eyesight and other health problems that hamper normal combat duty are exempted from the military service or conscripted into non-active service.
In another toughened rule, the number of missing teeth that can justify exemption from the military service will rise from 9-10 of the usual 28 to more than 16 missing teeth.
Those who had spinal surgery for artificial disc replacement will also be required to serve in the military, the ministry said.
The tightened measures came as a growing number of people are accused of attempting to take advantage of loopholes in the conscription physical examination rules.
Most recently, a popular entertainer was indicted on charges of dodging the military service by purposely pulling out his healthy teeth. Shin Dong-hyun, known as MC Mong, had his teeth intentionally extracted in order to avoid military service.
"The revised law toughens 15 provisions in the military health check-up, while lessening two," said an official from the ministry. "We will keep
coming up with supplementary measures to block draft dodgers."
The ministry said that the revisions will take effect from Feb. 14, the day for next year's first medical examination.