[Hushx]

Originally Posted by Dean Burley

Choi made a lot of money in K-1 so it seems like he should be able to buy his way out of it.

The Spirit 16 card isn't spectacular, but it looks ok. Whi Seung Bae is an exiting scrapper and that's a good match up for him against Murata. An Sang Il is finally gettig a step up in competition. i alway like watching Kim Haeng Ki fight, so i'll be there

Nah dude, you can't buy your way out of that - you would need mad political connections, and even if they had the opportunity, most guys wouldn't skip military service to begin with because if you are a young, healthy male and you don't serve, its considered pretty shameful, not just for yourself but for your family as well. People go so far as to say stuff like "Oh, his mom and dad didn't raise him right" and shit like that behind your family's backs.

Its not like over in the states where celebrities can seemingly extricate themselves from complicated legal matters - you qualify but you refuse to serve? Get ready to face the quite high possibility of being exiled or going to jail. That happened with this one Korean singer - he was this Usher or Justin Timberlake type, and he was really popular, but when he refused to serve, public opinion completely turned against him; people were demanding he go to jail and a whole bunch of other drama. It got so bad he left the country and came to the US.

With Hong, it could've gone both ways. At 7'2'' and 350 pounds, you can't really say he isn't physically capable of doing grueling military training, but given Hong's medical history (for example him not getting cleared to fight @ K-1 Dynamite USA last year due to a tumor/pituitary gland problems) and his potential lack of good balance due to his sheer height, a medical doctor could've said he was ineligible to serve.

...Come to think of it, anyone know if Seo Taiji went to gundei? I never remember him serving in the military...lol, maybe with his popularity in Japan, his musical performances were considered as him working on "Diplomatic Relations" or "Civil Duty." . I know Olympic athletes, Baseball and Soccer players who are playing for their national team for the World Cup are usually exempt from the traditional military service.

[p_ahn]

Originally Posted by Dean Burley

Choi made a lot of money in K-1 so it seems like he should be able to buy his way out of it.

a figure as public as Choi won't be able to "buy his way out" of the army

[p_ahn]

Originally Posted by Hushx

Since I'm second-generation, I don't have to serve

no so fast.
being a "second-generation" doesn't exempt you from Korean military service.
I know plenty of American citizens that were forced to serve.
the reason?
although they had U.S. citizenship, they were listed on the "hojuck," i.e., family registry.
my parents took my name off the "hojuck" before I became a legal adult, thus, I didn't have to serve.
I know guys that were "caught" at the airport and taken straight to the camps since they thought they were exempt as American citizens.
mind you, this is several years ago and the policy may have changed.

[Hushx]

Originally Posted by p_ahn

no so fast.
being a "second-generation" doesn't exempt you from Korean military service.
I know plenty of American citizens that were forced to serve.
the reason?
although they had U.S. citizenship, they were listed on the "hojuck," i.e., family registry.
my parents took my name off the "hojuck" before I became a legal adult, thus, I didn't have to serve.
I know guys that were "caught" at the airport and taken straight to the camps since they thought they were exempt as American citizens.
mind you, this is several years ago and the policy may have changed.

I'm not even a Korean citizen - I have dual citizenship to the US (naturalized) and Argentina (born). Wouldn't that make me exempt or something?


EDIT:

Ok so fuck, after asking my parents, I've gotten some unfortunate news. Although my parents became naturalized US citizens back in 1999, when I was about 11, they never formally renounced their Korean citizenship. Because I'm their son, by extension, even though I've never lived in South Korea, in the government's point of view, I am still considered a Korean citizen, even if its not on paper. If I had wanted to renounced my "Korean citizenship," I had to have done it before I turned 18 - too late, as I will be 20 this coming July.

Here was one story that got me worrying:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/..._korean08.html

Same circumstances for me - even though I was born in Argentina and moved to the US when I was 5, my grandfather registered me in my family's hojuk, or the Family Census Registry. I am a little better off since I attend Korean language school classes growing up and live in Los Angeles, a city with a huge Korean population, but even then, my Korean is still conversational at best; to give you an idea, last night I was watching Die Hard with my Dad - I had difficulty explaining the story to him, and its not that complicated of a movie. I speak Konglish basically (mix of Korean+English, like how some Mexican-Americans speak Spanglish or Tex-Mex, since their Spanish is not perfect).

SON OF A BITCH. I was planning on visiting Korea either through a study abroad program or just visiting my relatives for a year after college. With this nagging at the back of my mind however, I am beginning to have second thoughts.

[ryouboard]

Originally Posted by Hushx

I'm not even a Korean citizen - I have dual citizenship to the US (naturalized) and Argentina (born). Wouldn't that make me exempt or something?


EDIT:

Ok so fuck, after asking my parents, I've gotten some unfortunate news. Although my parents became naturalized US citizens back in 1999, when I was about 11, they never formally renounced their Korean citizenship. Because I'm their son, by extension, even though I've never lived in South Korea, in the government's point of view, I am still considered a Korean citizen, even if its not on paper. If I had wanted to renounced my "Korean citizenship," I had to have done it before I turned 18 - too late, as I will be 20 this coming July.

Here was one story that got me worrying:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/..._korean08.html

Same circumstances for me - even though I was born in Argentina and moved to the US when I was 5, my grandfather registered me in my family's hojuk, or the Family Census Registry. I am a little better off since I attend Korean language school classes growing up and live in Los Angeles, a city with a huge Korean population, but even then, my Korean is still conversational at best; to give you an idea, last night I was watching Die Hard with my Dad - I had difficulty explaining the story to him, and its not that complicated of a movie. I speak Konglish basically (mix of Korean+English, like how some Mexican-Americans speak Spanglish or Tex-Mex, since their Spanish is not perfect).

SON OF A BITCH. I was planning on visiting Korea either through a study abroad program or just visiting my relatives for a year after college. With this nagging at the back of my mind however, I am beginning to have second thoughts.

I'm in the same boat. Born and raised in America. Parents were born in Korea. Father put my name in the hojok. Suddenly, I get a letter saying I need to serve in the Korean army. The letter was sent to my home in L.A. WTF?

Anyway, I had plans to start up a business which would require travel to Korea, and I was thinking of teaching English in Korea as well (with English being the rage now). But it looks like all my plans with Korea are nixed at least until I turn 35. How stupid.

I have friends and cousins that served in the Korean army, so I know it ain't that big of a deal really. But given the choice, I would much rather serve four years in the American army than the two years in the Korean army. I'm a fucking American. I shouldn't be forced into a foreign country's army because my father made a poor decision and wrote my name down on some paper over twenty years ago. Korean laws and policies are so retarded.

And if they had sent me or my family a notice before I became of legal age to choose my nationality and citizenship, my family and I would've renounced my Korean citizenship years ago. My parents didn't immigrate to this country and live and raise me here so that I can be forced into the Korean army. Fuck that.

[ryouboard]

Anyway, to get this thread back on track...

War Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 84!

[Toujourpret]

Originally Posted by Hushx

I know Olympic athletes, Baseball and Soccer players who are playing for their national team for the World Cup are usually exempt from the traditional military service.

Actually the exemptions are usually only given if they win or are very successful. The 2002 World Cup squad recieved exemptions but I don't think the 2006 squad did. Also I do not think the WBC team got exemptions either. I could be wrong. I think there was a recent "scandal" where many baseball players were getting doctors exemptions to stay out of the military.

As someone already mentioned a lot of guys delay. Kang Ta of HOT just entered military service and i think he is around 30.

and yes War Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 84!

[craftsman]

KDH FTW?!...............................I think so.

[bruceleroy]

whew! I got fucked up by Kim Yoon-young last night. He's at our gym training Kwang-hee for Sengoku.
I officially state that I think Yoon-young has the slickest JJ in Korea. That dude can sweep me in 10 seconds. I get another crack at him tonight. I'm gonna break him.
yeah right.
KDH is getting swolled up. I hope he has added more to his standing arsenal bc that shit isn't gonna cut it anymore.

[webe]

hey all i live in korea and my buddy and i are mma fans. my buddy more then i want to do some mma training, can anyone pm me any gyms. to be more exact we live in bundang southwest of seoul along the bundang subway line.

i guess asking here would help. pm me please!

thanks!

and if dream comes to korea i gotta check it out!

good luck at ufc 84 kim dong hyun