South Korea weighs cuts to military exemptions for athletes, artists following Asian Games controversy

South Korea’s men’s football Asiad triumph was quickly overshadowed by controversy after some players appeared to celebrate securing military service exemptions.

07 Oct 2026 12:37PM

SEOUL: South Korea is considering scaling back or scrapping military service exemptions for elite athletes and artists, its defence ministry said on Tuesday (Oct 6), after the conduct of several players on its Asian Games football squad sparked a backlash.

South Korea defeated Japan 1-0 in the Oct 3 final in Aichi-Nagoya, securing its fourth straight Asiad men’s football crown and making 20 of its 23 players eligible to avoid conventional military service.

But the triumph was quickly overshadowed by controversy over some players’ remarks.

At a post-match press conference, team captain Lee Gi-hyuk, 26, held up his gold medal while declaring: "I'm not going to the military".

His teammate Yang Min-Hyeok, 20, also said in a post-match interview that he had been focused solely on securing a military service exemption - rather than winning a medal or trophy.

Another player, Park Seung-soo, 19, posted a since-deleted photo of himself wearing a cap typically worn by people who have completed their mandatory military service.

All three players have subsequently apologised amid public criticism.

Under South Korea’s conscription system, able-bodied men are generally required to serve between 18 and 21 months in the military.

But the law allows Olympic medallists and Asiad gold medallists, as well as certain award-winning artists, to avoid conventional service.

Those who qualify must still undergo three weeks of basic training and complete 544 hours of community service over 34 months.

The South Korean defence ministry said on Tuesday that it was reviewing the future of such arrangements.

"Ultimately, we have plans to cut back or scrap the supplementary service, including one designed for artists and athletes, and reflect it in the basic outline for defence reforms," defence ministry spokesperson Chung Binna said during a regular press briefing, as reported by Yonhap.

The ministry said the review would take into account factors including public opinion, fairness and the country’s shrinking pool of military-age men. It did not specify a timeline.

The exemption system has long been controversial, with critics questioning its criteria.

The debate previously flared in 2022 over K-pop supergroup BTS, whose global success prompted calls for the members to receive similar exemptions. K-pop stars do not qualify under the scheme.

Six of the group’s seven members served in the army, while Suga fulfilled his duty as a social service agent, an alternative form of military service.