The Ministry of National Defense announced on the 14th that it had pre-legislated the day before an amendment to the 'Military Service Physical Examination Rules', which relaxes the Body Mass Index (BMI) criteria for active duty eligibility.
Typically, BMI is classified as ▲ under 18.4 as underweight ▲ 18.5 to 24.9 as normal ▲ 25 to 29.9 as overweight ▲ 30 to 34.9 as obese ▲ 35 to 39.9 as severely obese ▲ over 40 as extremely obese.
The amendment lowers the lower limit of active duty criteria from the current 16 to 15 and raises the upper limit from the current 35 to 40.
As a result, if the amendment passes through the legislative notice period and the State Council, individuals with a BMI of 35 to 39.9, who were previously classified as grade 4 social service personnel, will now all receive a grade 3 active duty classification.
Jun Ha-gyu, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, stated at a regular briefing, "We have confirmed that personnel with overweight (severe obesity) or underweight according to the current BMI standard can serve in the military without hindrance."
In response to a question about whether the shortage of military manpower influenced this legislative notice, Jun said, "It can be understood in that context," but added, "It's concluded that relaxing the BMI standard would not hinder the normal performance of military duties."
The Ministry of National Defense also decided to classify cases of ligament damage, particularly those who have undergone ligament reconstruction surgery more than twice, as virtually exempt grade 5 (wartime labor force). The previous rules classified a single surgery as grade 5.
Additionally, the criteria for astigmatism among refractive abnormalities are being relaxed to a similar level as near and farsightedness, and the criteria for flat feet are also being refined and relaxed.
However, the criteria for active duty in cases of mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety disorders, which cause command and management burdens in field units, are being strengthened.
Previously, mild cases were classified for active duty, but now, even mild symptoms with social or occupational dysfunction will be classified as grade 4.
[Korean reaction]
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Administrative positions can be fully handled by women. Does it require physical strength? Is a man's time less valuable than a woman's?
ㄴ Like in Israel, unmarried women who haven't given birth should be conscripted into the military.
ㄴ Honestly, if women only serve as clerks, people will complain about that too, haha.
ㄴ If we send women to the military in our country, wouldn't the birth rate drop even further?
Why drag sick people to the military when there are perfectly healthy women?
ㄴ No political party, thinking of votes, would dare to bring up women's conscription.
Why do women only fulfill 3 out of the 4 major obligations?
In Korea, women really live like nobility, haha.
The obese are lucky. The nation even helps them diet, how great is that.
They don’t give birth.. don’t go to the military.. hate men.. what exactly do 20-30-year-old women in our country do?
**It's important to note that these comments are just a subset of individual reactions to a specific news event and do not represent the overall public opinion. While presenting genuine reactions is crucial, it's equally essential to understand that there might be cultural or societal context differences that could lead to misunderstandings. Hence, a thorough explanation accompanying such comments is advisable. Moreover, to ensure balanced information dissemination, it's recommended to include a diverse range of opinions and not just extreme ones.
