Yoo Yong-won said, "Holding overseas should be prevented from military service exemption...Exemption criteria raised from 38 years old to 43 years old"

Yoo Yong-won, a member of the People's Power, said he has proposed a partial revision of the Military Service Act, which includes raising the current standard of 38 years old to 43 years old to prevent evasion of military service in violation of overseas travel permit obligations.

Yoo said that the current law exempts people from the obligation to join the military from the age of 38, even if they do not return home during the permitted period without justifiable reasons, and some people abuse it to try to get a job after returning home over the age of 38.

He added that nearly 200 cases of violation of overseas travel permit obligations occur every year, but no punishment has been imposed since 2022, adding that the majority are "trying" to avoid military service overseas by exploiting the lack of criminal punishment.

Rep. Yoo stressed that the age of exemption from military service should be raised from 38 to 43 to eradicate such avoidance of military service overseas and strengthen fairness, and the end of military service obligations should be extended from 40 to 45.