South Korea signals military exemption cuts for athletes after Asian Games backlash
The ministry said the review will weigh public opinion, fairness and a shrinking pool of military-age men.
- On Wednesday, South Korean Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Chung Binna announced plans to eventually reduce or scrap military service exemptions for athletes and artists. "Ultimately, we have plans to cut back or scrap the supplementary service," Chung said.
- Following South Korea's 1-0 victory against Japan on October 3 at the Asian Games, three football players made insensitive remarks celebrating their military exemptions, triggering widespread public backlash and reigniting debate over fairness.
- Under a 1973 scheme, gold medalists substitute full conscription with three weeks of basic training, unlike ordinary men who serve 18 to 21 months. The disparity sparked particular outrage as members of K-pop group BTS completed mandatory service.
- Beyond football, 16 baseball players and three esports gold medalists also secured exemptions at the Asian Games, prompting Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young to acknowledge the program must be scaled back.
- The Defense Ministry is now reviewing the system, citing fairness concerns and a shrinking military-age population, though officials provided no specific timeline for implementing these changes as public expectations regarding national service continue to evolve.
42 Articles
42 Articles
The gold medal of South Korea's football selection at the traditional Asian Games, won last Friday, became a theme of governmental controversy in the country. A celebration considered excessive by athletes for the dispensation of compulsory military service, guaranteed after the conquest, yielded questions to the South Korean Minister of Sport, who promised to reassess the system, which already lasts more than 50 years. The country, which impose…
The South Korean government plans to change the rules to exempt high-achieving athletes from military service.
The comments of three footballers boasting of getting rid of the military have led the country to study a drastic change.
South Korea signals military exemption cuts for athletes after Asian Games row
The reward of a military service exemption for gold medal-winning South Korean athletes could be abolished or reduced in future after public backlash to some controversial comments from winners at the Asian Games. Three players from the men’s football team came under fire for comments following South Korea’s 1-0 win over Japan in the Asian Games final last weekend in Japan. All three apologised but a broader debate had already reignited over whe…
South Korea could scrap military service exemption for Asian Games gold medal after backlash
The reward of a military service exemption for gold medal-winning South Korean athletes could be abolished or reduced in future after public backlash to some controversial comments from winners at the Asian Games.
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