The buzz around celebrities dodging military service is back! More stars claiming mental illness for exemptions are raising eyebrows—is this legit or a loophole?
On March 16, Rep. Kang Dae-sik unveiled Military Manpower Administration (MMA) data: out of 272 celebrities lined up for social service last year, 50 (18.38%) got exemptions after long waits due to mental health claims.
Here’s how it works: when social service slots run out, those waiting over 3 years are tagged as wartime labor (Grade 5) and excused. Of 116 total mental illness exemptions among 3,094 specially monitored folks, celebrities accounted for 43.1%—almost half!
This “specially monitored” list covers kids of officials, athletes, celebs, and wealthy families, tracked by the MMA for fairness.
The stats are jaw-dropping! Exempted celebs shot up from 7 in 2020 to 16 in 2021, 36 in 2022, 46 in 2023, and 50 in 2024—a crazy spike.
Even wilder? Stars who passed their first exam but snagged mental health exemptions on re-checks jumped from 7 in 2020 to 39 in 2024—over 5 times more!
Rumors swirl: “Is there a draft-dodging playbook in showbiz?”
Rep. Kang demands, “The MMA needs to dig deep for trust and fairness.” So, genuine mental struggles or a sneaky escape?
