South Korea is reviewing exemptions for athletes from military service

The South Korean government is considering revising its military exemption system for athletes following the controversy sparked by the national football team's celebrations after winning gold at the Asian Games. Three players, including captain Lee Ji-hyuk, faced widespread criticism after celebrating their guaranteed exemption from military service following their victory over hosts Japan in the final. Lee sparked outrage by holding up his gold medal and declaring, "I'm not going to the army," before later apologizing for his remarks. South Korean law mandates that men perform 18 to 21 months of active duty before the age of 28, while Asian Games gold medalists, along with Olympic medalists of any color, are exempt from military service after completing less than a month of basic training. Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hoi-young confirmed that the government will review the system, which has been in place for over 50 years. He described the national team captain's remarks as "completely immature" and indicated that the system is inevitably headed toward being scaled back. During a hearing of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, the minister explained that the system has helped outstanding athletes and performers maintain and develop their abilities. However, he noted that changing values ​​related to fairness and societal views on military service necessitate a comprehensive review. The current system grants exemptions to Olympic medalists who finish third or better and to gold medalists at the Asian Games, with over 80% of these exemptions concentrated in the Asian Games. During the hearing, Democratic Party member Cho Ki-won raised the issue, arguing that the incident reinforced a sense of injustice among some young people. He pointed out that winning a world championship in many sports can be more difficult than winning at the Asian Games, even though world champions in those sports do not receive similar military service exemptions. Cho revealed that 44 people became eligible for military exemption during the last Asian Games, including 36 football and baseball players, reflecting the concentration of the system's benefits in a limited number of popular sports.