A South Korean man who enlisted in the military on behalf of someone awaiting service has been sentenced to one year and six months in prison, suspended for two years, a local court said Friday.
The 28-year-old defendant, Cho, made a deal with Choi, a man in his late 20s, to take his place in the military and split the salary. Cho enlisted at Nonsan Army Training Center in South Chungcheong Province, a facility that provides basic training for Korean soldiers, last July, according to police investigations.
To undergo a medical and physical assessment before enlistment, Cho submitted Choi's resident registration card and a Nara Sarang check card, issued to all military service applicants, to the Military Manpower Administration, a government agency responsible for enlistment and personnel affairs regarding the nation's mandatory military service.
Cho passed the examination and enlisted in the military, continuing service under Choi’s identity for three months.
Police investigations revealed that Cho, who had completed his compulsory military duty, attempted to reenlist to earn money due to financial difficulties. He received a total of 1.64 million won ($1,135) as compensation for enlisting.
The steady salary increase in the military was a strong motive for his crime. In 2025, the salary for a sergeant is 2.05 million won, a roughly 236 percent increase from 610,000 won in 202, according to the MMA.
The crime was uncovered when Choi voluntarily reported it to the MMA in September last year. This type of "proxy enlistment" is the first of its kind in the country since the establishment of the military agency in 1970.
Given that Cho's actions were motivated by financial hardship rather than an intention to avoid military service, the local court handed down a suspended jail sentence to him, who had earlier been indicted on charges of fraud, violation of the Military Service Act, obstruction of official duties, and violation of the Resident Registration Act.
The court stated, "The crime of impersonating another person to enlist in the military is a serious offense that undermines trust in national administrative procedures and warrants severe punishment. However, the defendant, already discharged from the military, does not appear to have committed the crime to help another evade military service. Rather, it seems to have been driven by financial hardship, with no other motive beyond receiving the salary."
cjh@heraldcorp.com
