Weight-related criteria for exemption from mandatory military service is set to be eased.

The defense ministry announced on Thursday that it is seeking to relax the standards based on Body Mass Index(BMI), a change dependent on Cabinet approval.

In general, a BMI of 18-point-four or less is considered underweight, while a BMI of 30 to 34-point-nine is considered obese, 35 to 39-point-nine as very obese and 40 or more as extremely obese.

The proposed change will lower the bottom threshold from the current BMI of 16 to 15 while raising the upper limit from the current 35 to 40.

Ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyu said that the change was motivated not merely by a lack of new conscriptions but also because there is no impediment in carrying out mandatory service obligations under the proposed thresholds.