South Koreans dodge draft with tattoos

Tattoos in South Korea are more than just a fashion statement

South Korean authorities have been cracking down on men who get tattooed in order to avoid military service.

In the last month, 170 men have been arrested on charges of "wilfully tampering with their bodies to avoid military duty", and are facing prison terms of up to three years.

According to national conscription laws, men with tattoos are unfit for the military because they are an "abomination among fellow soldiers".

Traditionally tattoos in Korea have indicated that the wearer is a gangster or member of the underworld.

Twenty-six months of military service is compulsory for all able-bodied men under 30 in South Korea, which is still technically at war with the North.

Taking two or three years out can really kill off your career, so people do anything they can to avoid the draft

Bernie Cho, South Korean talk show host

Pictures of disgraced youths, handcuffed and displaying large back tattoos have recently appeared in the South Korean media.

"There is a need to warn those who would do anything to avoid military service," said Judge Kim Sung-keun as he sentenced a 24-year-old man with two children to eight months in prison.

But despite the threat of prison, the draft is still unpopular amongst many young men.

Bernie Cho, a talk show host in South Korea, told the BBC some people are prepared to go to great lengths to avoid conscription.

"Taking two or three years out can really kill off your career, so people do anything they can to avoid the draft," he told the East Asia Today programme.

"Some people mutilate themselves by staging back injuries, or leg injuries, or even try staring into candles in order to try and ruin their eyesight," he said.