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June 04, 2007
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The questioning by Seoul prosecutors of Park Jae-sang, 30, who is better known as “Psy,” is just part of a wider investigation into the perennial issue of draft dodging by young men trying to avoid the call of duty. Psy received an exemption from service because he worked in a high-tech company that supposedly served the national interest, but prosecutors question whether he was qualified, or even what he did for the company. Prosecutors said last week that the singer was “incapable” of doing high-tech work for the firm, which also had a business relationship with Psy’s uncle. With the country still technically in a state of war with North Korea, which has 70 percent of its troops massed along the heavily fortified demilitarized zone, every South Korean male is expected to serve in the military for two years after the age of 20. Many opt to enter the service while attending college and some serve after graduation, but with improving inter-Korean relations and the specter of war seemingly far away, many young people have trouble accepting the spartan conditions of the army and leaving the comforts of home. It just seems like an inconvenience. “A complete waste of time,” recalls Choi Young-woo, 28, of the two years he spent in the service before graduating from college in Seoul last year. “Maybe it was necessary, but I would rather have done something else.” Psy is accused of avoiding the rigors of the trenches by using a regulation that allows well-qualified young men to substitute work in private companies designated by the Military Manpower Administration for military service. Others who are not up to the physical rigors of the army can serve in government agencies or local district offices as public servants. While draft dodging scandals occur regularly, the current probes are the first to focus on the abuses of the system of work substitution in private companies. Prosecutors are investigating some 1,800 companies to see if they have taken bribes to hire men seeking to escape the draft, and also to see if such employees even worked at the companies. Psy, for example, has been accused of skipping work altogether to give concert appearances during the time he was supposed to be serving his country. As of Friday, five people had been charged in connection with the investigations, while eight people who had qualified earlier for alternative service have had that status revoked, and they will now have to serve in the military. Suspicion falls most heavily on the sons of influential people, athletes and entertainers, some of whom seem to feel that their wealth and privileged positions allow them to skip their time in uniform. In 2004, Song Seung-heon, a popular actor, made headlines when it was discovered he had bought his way out of the service by submitting tainted urine samples that suggested he was suffering from certain illnesses and was thus unfit for the army. Song finished his service in November of last year, but has kept a low profile, trying to gauge public opinion on his return to the entertainment world. Athletes and gifted people in the arts can get a free pass by performing exceptionally well at international competitions, such as the Asian Games, the Olympics or the soccer World Cup. Artists such as pianists need to win a recognized international competition in order to be exempted. In recent years the country also has seen conscientious objectors go public with their decisions to refuse to serve, a status not recognized under the law. In August 2004, the Constitutional Court ruled that the military draft law is constitutional and that punishing conscientious objectors is not against the Constitution. Last month, despite recommendations by the National Human Rights Commission, the Justice Ministry took no position on the issue of permitting military draftees to undertake alternative service if they have a moral or religious objection to serving. The decision reflects the reality that social sentiment here is against draft dodgers and those who shirk their duty to defend the nation. Many analysts believe that presidential hopeful Lee Hoi-chang’s defeat by President Roh Moo-hyun in the last presidential election and by Kim Dae-jung in 1997 was partially due to accusations that his two sons had avoided military service by losing weight. Although the sons were legally cleared of the charges, there was always a question mark over the issue. by Brian Lee Staff Writerafricanu@joongang.co.kr |
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