South Korea to scale back military exemptions for athletes
Sign up now: Get insights on Asia's fast-moving developments
South Korean athletes at the closing ceremony of the Asian Games on Oct 4. There was public backlash after footballers celebrated military exemptions for winning gold at the Games.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- South Korea plans to scale back military exemptions for elite athletes after public anger over footballers celebrating their gold-medal exemptions.
- Sports minister Chae Hwi-young said there is a broad public view the system must be fairer; defence chief Kang Shin-chul wants to gradually end it.
- The backlash grew after Lee Gi-hyuk said, “I am not going to the military,” and Park Seung-soo posted a salute video; both later apologised.
AI generated
SEOUL – South Korea will scale back military exemptions for elite athletes, ministers said on Oct 7, following public backlash against footballers who celebrated their exemptions for winning Asian Games gold.
Able-bodied South Korean males are usually required to perform between 18 months and two years of military service before the age of 28.
But the government rewards Asian Games gold medals and Olympic medals of any colour with an exemption, meaning athletes undergo just weeks of basic military training instead.
After the national football team claimed victory at the Asian Games last week, public criticism centred on tournament captain Lee Gi-hyuk, who proclaimed in a post-match interview: “I am not going to the military.”
A video of Newcastle United under-21s player Park Seung-soo wearing a military discharge cap tilted to one side and giving a salute with a smile further fuelled the outcry.
“I believe there is a broad public consensus that the system should be made fairer and subject to stricter standards,” Sports Minister Chae Hwi-young told MPs during a parliamentary audit on Oct 7.
“We have no choice but to move in the direction of scaling it back,” he said.
Relevant government agencies would work together to produce “comprehensive measures”, he added, without giving details.
At a separate session, defence chief Kang Shin-chul said his ministry’s goal was to “gradually scale back the exemption and ultimately abolish it”.
Both players apologised over the controversy, with Lee – a 26-year-old defender who plays in the domestic K League – describing his remarks as “thoughtless”.
Military exemptions are a sensitive topic in South Korea, and athletes usually shy away from talking about them.
One famous case involved former Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min, who earned an exemption after leading the national squad to win gold at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.
Asked about the exemption after the final, Son said: “Rather than thinking about that, we came here to win this tournament.” AFP