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Players’ comments reignite a sensitive debate
SEOUL, South Korea — Comments by members of South Korea’s gold medal-winning men’s soccer team have renewed debate over military service benefits for elite athletes, prompting two senior lawmakers to call for an overhaul of the country’s exemptions for sports and the arts.
South Korea defeated Japan in the men’s soccer final at Toyota Stadium in Japan’s Aichi prefecture on Nov. 3 during the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. After the victory, player Yang Min-hyeok said in an interview that medals and trophies had not mattered to him and that he appeared to have played with only military exemption in mind.
Park Seung-soo later posted a photo on social media showing himself in the locker room wearing a cap associated with completing military service. Team captain Lee Ki-hyuk also said the championship meant he would no longer have to enlist.
Military service is compulsory for most able-bodied South Korean men, making exemptions a politically and socially sensitive issue. Certain athletes and artists can receive special treatment for achievements deemed to enhance the country’s international standing.
Ahn Cheol-soo condemns players’ attitude
Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, a four-term lawmaker with the conservative People Power Party, wrote on Facebook on Nov. 4 that military exemptions tied to the Asian Games should be reconsidered.
“Is the military some kind of hated facility?” Ahn wrote, criticizing what he described as the players’ dismissive attitude toward service.
Ahn contrasted the remarks with the sacrifice of a South Korean service member who recently lost an ankle to a North Korean mine while searching a dangerous area along the western front. He argued that athletes who disparage military duty should not receive exemptions intended to recognize contributions to the country.
Na Kyung-won blames an outdated system
Rep. Na Kyung-won, a five-term People Power Party lawmaker, directed her criticism at the policy rather than the athletes. She said it was natural for players to focus on a benefit the government itself had attached to winning.
“The problem is not the players, but the outdated system,” Na wrote on Facebook, calling for a military service framework that young South Koreans could view as fair.
Na said athletic medals once offered rare opportunities to promote South Korea abroad, but the country is now widely recognized through K-pop, television dramas, semiconductors, smartphones and automobiles. She cited BTS, one of South Korea’s most prominent global cultural exports, noting that its members still fulfilled their military obligations.
Na proposed reconsidering which competitions and events qualify for special treatment and examining whether benefits should be based on athletes’ cumulative international results rather than a single medal.
Governing party lawmaker pushes back
The calls for reform drew criticism from Rep. Yeom Tae-young of the governing Democratic Party. Yeom accused opponents of exploiting the immature behavior of a few players to create political division instead of first recognizing the team’s work in winning the gold medal.
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