The military recruitment agency has referred nine people suspected of feigning an eye condition to dodge military service to the military prosecution, officials said Thursday.

The Military Manpower Administration said they attached “Kimite,” a popular motion sickness patch, below their eyes to have their pupils enlarged temporarily before their physical checkups so that they could pretend to have eye problems.

They applied the patch for around six months in 2009 and 2010, and claimed that their eyes were damaged after being hit with a soccer ball.

All nine were given alternative service rather than active military duty. Five of them have already finished their service terms.

The MMA will expand their inquiry into eye-related cases. Excluding the nine, the number of those given alternative service for eye-related illnesses since 2007 is 43.

In the wake of these cases, the MMA has referred all such cases to the National Forensic Service for a more thorough examination, they said.

By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)