6 Celebrities Who Were Exempt from Military Service for Different Reasons

All Korean men are required to complete their military service after a certain age, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t exceptions. There are certain circumstances that quality men to be exempt from having to fulfill their service.

Here are 6 celebrities who were exempt from military service for different reasons:

1. Jang Dong Gun – Pneumothorax

Jang Dong Gun suffered from pneumothorax when he was in high school which led him to be hospitalized for major surgery. Since his condition made it hard for him to even complete his studies, he was exempt from military service.

2. Jo Jung Suk – Family’s Livelihood

Jo Jung Suk lost his father at an early age which required him to become the head of his household and take care of his mother. Since there was no other family to take care of his mother, Jo Jung Suk was exempt from military service.

3. Simon Dominic – Damage of Left Eye

Simon Dominic has shared his story of how he left eye got damaged in his songs. He used lyrics such as “I’m not the same person anymore” and “I was exempt after losing the sight in my left eye” to confess the truth himself.

4. Jung Joon Young – Insufficient Academic Background

Jung Joon Young, who’s an elementary school graduate, spent his childhood in Indonesia, so he went to a foreign school which was not acknowledged by the board. On Mnet’s Superstar K 4, Jung Joon Young confessed, “I took the physical to go to the military, but my education abroad couldn’t be acknowledged.”

5. Jung Woo Sung – Insufficient Academic Background

Jung Woo Sung was also exempted from the military due to an insufficient academic background. Jung Woo Sung grew up in difficult household circumstances, so he had no choice but to drop out of high school.

6. Kang Ho Dong – Weight

Kang Ho Dong, who was once a wrestler, was exempted from the military for exceeding their weight limit. Since he weighed around 130 kilograms at the time, he had to give up on serving in the military.