Soldier gets four-month sentence for faking injury to return to unit
Published: 30 Nov. 2025, 12:17
![Korean soldiers seen at an Army camp [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/30/4cf88009-6c48-4d30-b362-afec9ec3832f.jpg)
Korean soldiers seen at an Army camp [YONHAP]
A soldier was sentenced to prison for faking a car accident to avoid returning to his unit at the end of his leave.
The Incheon District Court on Saturday sentenced the soldier to four months in prison for obstructing the execution of official duties and evading military service through deception.
On Aug. 12 of last year, the soldier called his battery commander at around 7 p.m. near Dobong District, northern Seoul, and falsely claimed he had been in a car accident and required surgery and hospitalization, for which the captain approved an additional day of leave.
In reality, the soldier had spent the last day of his leave with his girlfriend and decided he did not want to return to base.
The girlfriend also participated in the scheme. She impersonated a nurse and falsely told the captain that the soldier had torn a ligament in his back and ruptured a cyst in his knee, requiring surgery and hospital care.
"The soldier's actions undermine military discipline and damage the morale of service members who faithfully fulfill their duty,” said the court, adding that it also considered the fact that he had no prior criminal record exceeding a fine.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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