South Korea defence minister faces fresh accusations of army desertion over 40 years ago

Questions surrounding South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back’s military service have resurfaced, with the government and his accuser offering conflicting accounts of what happened more than four decades ago.

At the centre of the dispute is a gap in Ahn’s military record. His record shows he began mandatory service on November 5, 1983, and was discharged on August 31, 1985, amounting to roughly 22 months.

Territorial defence soldiers at the time normally served for 14 months. His accuser...