@samuelszuchan: In 2010, Korean rapper MC Mong was indicted for paying dentists to pull his healthy teeth. Four of them. To qualify for a military exemption on dental grounds, you need to be missing at least nine molars. His career in Korean variety television ended within days. A court acquitted him on the dental charge in 2011. Couldn't prove intent. But KBS and MBC, Korea's two largest broadcasters, banned him from their networks. He attempted comebacks in 2014 and 2019. Public backlash shut both down. Fifteen years later, his name still comes up in any Korean conversation about the draft. So why would someone choose permanent damage to their face over 18 months of service? Korean men enlist between sophomore and senior year. While they're gone, their female peers build certifications, internships, study abroad experience. The military exam bonus that once compensated veterans was struck down in 1999. The obligation stayed at 18 months, but the compensation vanished. MC Mong weighed 18 months of lost career compounding against four teeth. He chose the teeth. Most Korean draftees don't get that choice. They go, come back, and start their lives 18 months behind.

Sam Szuchan

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Region: US

Friday 29 May 2026 22:17:00 GMT