South Korea’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-young confirmed on Wednesday that the government will reassess the system granting military service exemptions to elite athletes and artists. The announcement follows a public outcry sparked by insensitive remarks made by three members of South Korea’s men’s football team after they secured a 1-0 victory over Japan in the Asian Games final.
While all three players have since issued apologies, the incident has reignited a national debate regarding whether sporting achievements should warrant special treatment, particularly when ordinary citizens—and even members of globally renowned K-pop group BTS—are required to fulfill mandatory military duties.
Telling the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, Minister Choi acknowledged the system’s historical utility in helping outstanding talents maintain their careers but emphasized that societal values around fairness and military service have shifted.
“It is true that the system has contributed to helping outstanding artists and athletes maintain and develop their abilities,” Choi said. “However, the values attached to fairness and public perceptions of military service have changed. I agree that the system should be comprehensively reviewed once again.”
Under current regulations, most South Korean men must complete 18 to 21 months of active duty by age 28. Since 1973, Olympic medallists and Asian Games gold medallists have been eligible for supplementary service, a reduced obligation consisting of only three weeks of basic training.
The controversy centers on comments made by players including Yang Min-hyuk, who provided the assist for the winning goal. Yang, currently on loan at Belgian club Westerlo from Tottenham Hotspur, stated that the championship itself was not his primary motivation.
“The medal and winning the championship weren’t important. I played the game with only one thing in mind – the reward of a military service exemption,” Yang said.
Additionally, Newcastle United midfielder Park Seung-soo shared a social media photo wearing a cap associated with those who have completed service, while captain Lee Gi-hyuk held up his gold medal during a post-match interview and declared, “I’m not going to the military.”
Political figures and media outlets have been swift to criticize the remarks. Ahn Cheol-soo of the People Power Party called the comments “outrageous,” questioning the fairness of the system. Former lawmaker Yoo Seong-min drew comparisons to the mandatory service required of BTS members, asking if it was equitable that gold medallists are exempt.
The Korea Herald described the practice as outdated, arguing that South Korea no longer needs to rely on Asian Games victories to boost national prestige. Chung Binna, a spokesperson for the Defence Ministry, confirmed that plans are underway to cut back or scrap the supplementary service options for both artists and athletes.
Despite the backlash against the footballers, other South Korean athletes who earned exemptions celebrated their sporting success rather than the legal benefits. Golfer Tom Kim, who competed in the Asian Games immediately after the Presidents Cup, expressed pride in winning a medal for his country. Meanwhile, 16 baseball players and three esports competitors also secured exemptions after defeating Japan in their respective finals.
The ‘reward’ comment was awful, but maybe the exemption system itself isn’t the real problem. Why do we even have it anymore?
Fair point about BTS, but shouldn’t we focus on the players’ overall respect for service instead of just cancelling their exemptions?