Court rules denial of veteran status unlawful for reservist injured playing soccer

A court has ruled that the veterans affairs agency acted unlawfully by denying veteran status to a reservist who was injured while playing soccer during his military service. The ruling, issued by the Jeonju District Court's administrative division, stated that the decision to deem the reservist ineligible for veteran compensation was invalid.

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The court orders the cancellation of the decision deeming the reservist ineligible for veteran compensation.

The court ordered the cancellation of the decision made by the Jeonbuk Western Veterans Affairs Office. However, the reservist's separate request to overturn the denial of national merit status was dismissed by the court.

The reservist, identified as Mr. K, enlisted in the army in April 2023 and participated in a soccer match during a unit sports day on December 27 of the same year. During a physical clash with an opposing player, he suffered injuries to his left leg and pelvis. He was hospitalized, diagnosed with "left hip impingement syndrome" and "labrum tear," and underwent surgery and treatment before being discharged in October 2024 upon completion of his term.

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The injury sustained by the plaintiff was triggered by trauma, not a gradual deterioration.

Mr. K applied for national merit registration in November 2024, citing his injury during a military sports event, subsequent surgery, and ongoing rehabilitation. The Jeonbuk Western Veterans Affairs Office initially denied both national merit and veteran compensation eligibility after a review by the Veterans Review Committee in April 2025. The committee concluded that his injuries were not sufficiently related to his military duties.

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The plaintiff's injury has a significant causal relationship with his military service.

The court, however, found that the injury was triggered by trauma rather than a gradual deterioration. Medical professionals had assessed the cause of Mr. K's injury as 70% due to trauma during military sports activities and 30% due to individual morphological factors. Therefore, the court determined there was a significant causal relationship between his military service and the injury, necessitating the cancellation of the veteran compensation denial. The court reasoned that the soccer match, while part of a military event, did not directly relate to national security or the protection of citizens' lives and property, thus not meeting the criteria for national merit status.

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It is difficult to view the plaintiff's soccer match as 'duty performance or training directly related to national security, safety, or the protection of people's lives and property.'