Instagram and TikTok creator and fitness influencer, Daniel Oh, has spent the last seven years living in South Korea. That is, until he suddenly received an unexpected message from the South Korean military. Daniel was born and raised in the United States and has lived his life as a U.S. citizen, never receiving citizen benefits like Korean Social Security or healthcare. Despite this, he suddenly found himself staring down the barrel of a mandatory military draft.
In his video series that has over 15 million views across both platforms, Daniel claimed that it all began one month ago. In the first post, he admitted that he initially ignored the messages he received because he featured a Korean word he hadn’t seen before and assumed it was spam. When he finally translated the text, he realized it was from the Military Manpower Administration. Then he began to get calls from the same source, which made him panic.
He claimed that he consulted a lawyer immediately, who explained that because Daniel was born with Korean blood, he was technically a target for the military draft. The lawyer’s advice was immediate and jarring: “You have 48 hours to leave the country.” The lawyer allegedly told him that since it was the weekend, government offices would be shut, which made this his window to flee.
Relocating with little understanding
Daniel stated that he and his fiancée, who had just signed a new apartment lease, scrambled to pack their lives into bags and flee. The trip to the airport was nerve-wracking.
Daniel described the moment he went through security in his second post, alleging, “I hand my passport and ticket to the officer. She looks at the passport, then at me, and when she scans the passport, it flashes red, and she says, excuse me, sir, you’re gonna have to wait here for a second.”
While that specific scare turned out to be related to lithium batteries in his luggage, the real tension hit when he reached immigration. He surrendered his foreign residence card, knowing it was his best shot at a clean exit, but that also meant sacrificing his entire life thus far. Now, it should be noted that all we have is Daniel’s perspective, and the story cannot be verified.
Once they were safely out of the country, Daniel claims things got more complex. In his third post, he told his audience that his fiancée received word from their realtor that a letter from the military had been taped to their apartment door.
A second consultation with a specialized lawyer revealed that Daniel was legally considered a dual citizen because his parents were Korean citizens at the time of his birth. Daniel claimed that his parents didn’t register his birth until he was 24; he missed the window to renounce that citizenship.
The lawyer allegedly warned him that if he stepped back into Korea, he risked being detained and forced into service, and even if he stayed away, he could still face prosecution for military evasion. Daniel admitted that he was worried about a lawsuit, so he asked his parents, who were visiting the country, to contact the military.
Recently, North Korea has been making aggressive statements by ramping up its missile production, and even changing its constitution to protect the leaders. In response, per Seoul Economic Daily, the South Korean government has extended the age threshold for military service to block draft dodgers.
According to Daniel’s post, though, it turned out the military wasn’t issuing a draft notice, but rather trying to inform him that he had 90 days to leave the country. They granted him an “overseas travel permit,” allowing him to visit Korea for up to 90 days. However, there was a massive catch: this permit also applied to his parents.
If he or they stayed in Korea for more than six months, Daniel would be considered a military evader. This became a heartbreaking dilemma when his mother revealed she needed to stay in Korea longer than that to receive affordable medical treatment for her chronic kidney disease.
Faced with the prospect of his mother losing necessary healthcare or leaving his fiancée behind for 18 months of service, Daniel found himself at a crossroads. He reflected on the life he enjoyed in the country.
He also noted that global superstars like BTS had fulfilled their service. In comparison, he claimed he was no one special. Thanks to his posts, he noted that the military was reviewing his case, but if it was needed, he would serve, even if he never realized it was a possibility.
Published: Aug 14, 2026 04:45 am