Asian Games gold row widens as parties in South Korea seek exemption review
Version 2: Ruling-party lawmakers joined opposition calls to overhaul the military service exemption, turning it into a cross-party demand, with proposals ranging from abolishing the system to cutting it back gradually.
In short
South Korea beat Japan 1-0 on October 3 to win a fourth consecutive Asian Games men's football gold, a result that exempts most of the squad from military service. A locker-room photo of Park Seung-su in a discharge hat, captain Lee Ki-hyuk saying he would not go to the army and Yang Min-hyuk saying he played for the exemption drew criticism, and the players apologised. By October 5 lawmakers in both the ruling and opposition parties were calling for the exemption system to be reorganised or reduced.
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South Korea beat Japan 1-0 on October 3 at Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture to win a fourth consecutive Asian Games men's football gold, giving most of the squad exemption from military service. Within a day the win was overshadowed by a dispute over how the players marked it, Maeil Business, Hankook Ilbo and SBS News reported. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Park Seung-su (19, Newcastle United), the team's youngest member, posted a photo of himself wearing a discharge hat in the locker room after the gold was secured. Captain Lee Ki-hyuk (26, Gangwon FC) said he was not going to the army; Maeil Business and Hankook Ilbo reported he had been due to enlist about nine days later. Yang Min-hyuk (20, KVC Westerlo) said the medal or trophy did not matter and he had played with the exemption in mind, Hankook Ilbo and SBS News reported. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Criticism followed; Hankook Ilbo reported that Park, Lee and Yang apologised, with Park saying he happened to wear a hat a fan gave him and never meant to mock those serving. People Power Party lawmakers demanded changes: Ahn Cheol-soo said the Asian Games exemption should be reconsidered, and Na Kyung-won called for an overhaul, saying cumulative international results rather than a single medal should count and noting that BTS members had served. SBS News reported Democratic Party lawmaker Yeom Tae-young criticising the opposition for turning the issue into a political fight. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
On October 5 the reaction widened. Newsis reported that ruling and opposition parties were of one voice on reorganising the system: Kim Byung-joo of the Democratic Party said the 53-year-old system should be reorganised, citing a shrinking pool of conscripts and proposing gradual reduction, while party colleague Min Hong-chul said it should be abolished or greatly reduced. People Power Party chief spokesperson Park Sung-hoon said the glory of representing the country should not become a personal “military escape success story” and that criteria should be redesigned. Chosun Ilbo reported both sides saying the exemption should be reduced or reorganised, and Seoul Shinmun asked whether the system faces a turning point after 53 years. [ 7 , 8 , 9 ]
Korea Sports Council President Yoo Seung-min said at a briefing that the council runs extensive education on conduct, social media and interview skills but that controlling every athlete's remarks is effectively impossible, and that baseball players are not housed in the athletes' village, limiting individual management. He said the council would seek ways for players to speak with dignity. [ 1 , 2 ]
Under current rules, Asian Games gold medallists can be assigned as arts or sports personnel instead of serving. Maeil Business reported that all players except Lee Young-jun, Lee Seung-won and Kim Jun-hong, who had completed service, became eligible; Hankook Ilbo put the number at 20. Maeil Business also reported that baseball captain Noh Si-hwan drew criticism for saying the process was not needed at all, after South Korea beat Japan 3-1 in the baseball final for a fifth straight title. [ 1 , 2 ]
Why it matters
The gold medal triggers military service exemptions for most of the football squad, so the players' remarks have put the exemption system itself into public and political debate, now joined by lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties. Proposals in the documents range from abolishing the arts and sports exemption to reducing it gradually or basing it on cumulative international results, but no government or parliamentary decision is reported. The Korea Sports Council, whose president said individual remarks cannot be controlled, said it would seek ways for national team players to speak with dignity.
Key facts
- South Korea beat Japan 1-0 in the Asian Games men's football final on October 3 at Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, winning a fourth consecutive gold. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Park Seung-su (19, Newcastle United), the team's youngest member, posted a photo of himself wearing a discharge hat in the locker room after the gold was secured. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Captain Lee Ki-hyuk (26, Gangwon FC) said he was not going to the army; Maeil Business and Hankook Ilbo reported he had been due to enlist about nine days later. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Yang Min-hyuk (20, KVC Westerlo) said the medal or trophy did not matter and that he had played with the military exemption in mind. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Maeil Business reported all players except Lee Young-jun, Lee Seung-won and Kim Jun-hong, who had already completed service, became eligible for the benefit; Hankook Ilbo put the number of exempted players at 20. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Hankook Ilbo reported that Park, Lee and Yang posted apologies after the criticism. [ 2 ]
- People Power Party lawmakers Ahn Cheol-soo and Na Kyung-won called for the exemption to be reconsidered or overhauled; Na said cumulative international results rather than a single medal should count and noted that BTS members had served. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- On October 5, Newsis reported that ruling and opposition parties were of one voice on reorganising the system, quoting Democratic Party members Kim Byung-joo and Min Hong-chul and People Power Party chief spokesperson Park Sung-hoon; Chosun Ilbo, Kukmin Ilbo and Seoul Shinmun reported similar cross-party calls. [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- South Korea beat Japan 1-0 in the Asian Games men's football final on October 3 at Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, winning a fourth consecutive gold. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Park Seung-su posted a photo of himself wearing a discharge hat in the locker room after the gold medal was secured. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Captain Lee Ki-hyuk said he was not going to the army, and he had been due to enlist about nine days later. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Yang Min-hyuk said the medal or trophy did not matter and that he had played with the military exemption in mind. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Under current rules, Asian Games gold medallists can be assigned as arts or sports personnel in place of military service, and all squad members except three who had completed service became eligible. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Korea Sports Council President Yoo Seung-min said at a press briefing that the council runs education on conduct, social media and interview skills but that individual athletes' remarks cannot effectively be controlled. [ 1 , 2 ]
- People Power Party lawmakers Ahn Cheol-soo and Na Kyung-won called for the exemption to be reconsidered or fundamentally overhauled. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Ruling and opposition parties both called for the arts and sports military service exemption to be reorganised or reduced. [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the military service exemption system will actually be changed. The documents report only calls by individual lawmakers of both parties; no government or National Assembly decision on revision is mentioned.
- What a revised system would look like. Proposals differ: Min Hong-chul called for abolition or a large reduction, Kim Byung-joo for gradual reduction, Na Kyung-won for cumulative international results instead of a single medal, and Park Sung-hoon for redesigned criteria and stronger public duties; no decision is reported.
- When the exemption system was introduced and whether it is 53 years old. The figure appears as a lawmaker's remark in Newsis and as framing in a Seoul Shinmun headline; the documents provide no independent confirmation.
- Whether the players' apologies were reported by more than one outlet. Only Hankook Ilbo carries the apologies of Park, Lee and Yang among these documents, and no disciplinary step is mentioned.
- Baseball captain Noh Si-hwan's reported remark that the process was not needed at all. It appears only in Maeil Business, with no second outlet confirming the quote; Seoul Shinmun's headline only pairs the baseball team's poor play with the football row.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- South Korea beats Japan 1-0 in the Asian Games men's football final at Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture for a fourth consecutive gold; Park Seung-su posts the discharge-hat photo and captain Lee Ki-hyuk says he is not going to the army. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Maeil Business reports the row, including Yoo Seung-min saying players' remarks are hard to control and Ahn Cheol-soo calling for the exemption to be reconsidered. [ 1 ]
- Hankook Ilbo reports that Park, Lee and Yang posted apologies and that Na Kyung-won called for revising the exemption. [ 2 ]
- SBS News reports Ahn Cheol-soo and Na Kyung-won's calls and Democratic Party lawmaker Yeom Tae-young criticising the opposition for turning the issue into a political fight. [ 3 ]
- Seoul Shinmun pairs the football row with the baseball team's poor play in a report on the debate over improving the exemption system. [ 4 ]
- Newsis reports the debate over abolishing Asian Games exemptions, referring to BTS members who served. [ 5 ]
- Kukmin Ilbo reports that ruling and opposition parties are of one voice on reorganising the exemption. [ 6 ]
- Chosun Ilbo reports that parties on both sides say the arts and sports exemption should be reduced or reorganised. [ 7 ]
- Newsis reports ruling and opposition lawmakers' calls, including Democratic Party members Kim Byung-joo and Min Hong-chul and People Power Party chief spokesperson Park Sung-hoon. [ 8 ]
- Seoul Shinmun asks whether the system has reached a turning point after 53 years. [ 9 ]