Jung Joon Young's Military Exemption Receives Attention Following Controversy

Following Jung Joon Young’s recent controversy, various incidents in the singer’s past are gaining attention in the media.

One of the issues brought up is the singer’s military service exemption. Normally, all male Korean citizens between 18 and 35 are required to enlist in the military for about two years. Exemptions can be granted, usually for those with medical conditions.

According to a source in the entertainment industry, Jung Joon Young was exempt from his service due to his failure to meet the education requirement. Jung Joon Young grew up abroad due to his parents’ job, but his foreign education was judged as not meeting the requirements for service. (His highest domestic level of education was therefore judged to be elementary school.) Although exemptions for under-education are rare, they are included in the list of possible exemptions from service.

Jung Joon Young has openly acknowledged this in the past after debuting on “Superstar K.” In a previous interview, he had said, “I was born in Jakarta, Indonesia. I lived there until I was five and then moved to China. I received a physical exam for military service but they didn’t accept my foreign education.”

Source (1)