SEOUL-- Former South Korea international Suk Hyun-jun has signed with a fourth-division club in his native country while being on trial for draft evasion.

Jeonju Citizen FC, a K4 League club based in Jeonju, some 200 kilometers south of Seoul, announced their acquisition of Suk on Facebook on Friday.

Suk faces trial after being indicted on charges of violating the military service law in December last year. The 31-year-old forward has so far spent his entire club career in Europe, most recently in France beginning in 2017. Without providing valid reasons, Suk did not extend his overseas stay, and the Military Manpower Administration (MMA) placed Suk on its list of draft dodgers in 2019.

Suk has since lost a court battle against the MMA and was charged with breaking the military law for overstaying his overseas work permit.

French media reported last year Suk had attempted to acquire a French passport, though Suk later claimed he had never tried to dodge conscription and that he was always prepared to fulfill his military duty.

Suk had been without a team since the French club Troyes terminated their deal with the South Korean in July last year.

In the K4 League, those serving as social service agents, in an alternative form of military service, are allowed to play on weekends.

An official with Jeonju Citizen FC said they may sever ties with Suk depending on the result of this trial.

Source: Yonhap News Agency