STUDENTS SUSPECTED OF TRYING TO AVOID ARMY SERVICE

Twelve music students in South Korea have been accused of conspiring to avoid compulsory military service by making themselves too fat.

The authorities said the students used a social media messaging app to discuss how to fail the army’s medical examination by rapidly putting on weight.

According to The Korea Herald, they ate pizza and hamburgers five times a day, with one gaining 66 pounds in just six months.

All able-bodied South Korean men aged between 18 and 35 must serve at least 21 months in the army. But those who fail the medical, for reasons which can include excess weight, are sometimes permitted to do less taxing community service instead.