'Street Man Fighter' Champion Young Jee's Conviction Upheld: "Caused Sense of Deprivation Among Citizens" [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

Young Jee (34, real name Sung Young-jae), leader of the dance crew JustJerk, who faced allegations of evading military service on grounds of mental illness, was sentenced to a prison term in the second trial. JustJerk is well known as the winning team of Mnet's audition variety show 'Street Man Fighter' (2022).

According to NEWS1 on the 20th, the Seoul Southern District Court Criminal Appeal Division No. 1 (Presiding Judge Kim Soon-yeol) overturned the first-instance ruling and sentenced Young Jee to one year in prison for violating the Military Service Act.

Previously, the first instance had declared him not guilty, stating that "there was insufficient evidence proving the defendant used deception for the purpose of evading military service." The Prosecution Service appealed on grounds of factual error and misinterpretation of law.

The court stated, "After reviewing the evidence records submitted by the prosecutor, it is fully possible to conclude that the defendant used deception with the intent of evading or reducing military obligations despite not being in a physical condition warranting such reduction."

Furthermore, the court noted, "The defendant exploited the nature of psychiatry, where medical judgments must be made based on symptoms reported by patients after delaying military service. The crime's quality and methods were extremely malicious." It added, "This caused psychological deprivation and loss to citizens who faithfully fulfilled or had already fulfilled their military obligations, undermining trust in and the foundation of the military service system."

However, the court determined there was no risk of the defendant fleeing and did not order pretrial detention.

Young Jee is accused of falsely claiming panic disorder symptoms between July 2020 and February 2021 at a university hospital's psychiatry department to appear unable to perform daily life activities, thereby obtaining a medical certificate for military service purposes from a physician. Subsequently, in March 2021, he submitted the certificate as part of re-evaluation materials to the Seoul Regional Military Manpower Administration and received a Class 4 social service assignment based on reasons such as "neurotic disorder."

According to the Prosecution Service investigation, Young Jee ceased treatment after receiving the Class 4 classification and continued normal activities including television appearances. Additionally, during the 2020–2021 period when the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was prevalent, he consistently earned income yet falsely told medical staff that his mental illness prevented normal social activity and forced him to stop economic pursuits.

Meanwhile, Young Jee held a wedding with his girlfriend, who is 13 years younger, on the 13th this year. His wife, Ms. A (born in 2005), was reportedly in a relationship with him since she was a minor, sparking controversy.

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*This content was translated by AI.