Kang Shin-cheol "The Ministry of National Defense's goal is to gradually reduce special military service provisions and ultimately abolish them."

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Hyo-jeong and Kim Cheol-seon = Minister of National Defense Kang Shin-cheol said on the 7th, "The goal of the Ministry of National Defense is to gradually reduce special military service exceptions and ultimately abolish them."

Minister Kang responded as follows when Rep. Yoo Yong-won of the People's Power Party asked about his position on the reduction and abolition of the special military service system in the arts and sports fields during the audit of the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly.

Regarding the words and actions of some players of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games national soccer team, which recently sparked controversy regarding special military service in the arts and sports fields, Minister Kang also said, "I was deeply sorry for denigrating the sacred duty of national defense."

Yang Min-hyuk, a member of the Asian Games national soccer team, said in an interview after winning the gold medal, "Medals or trophies are not important, and I think I played only because of the exemption from military service."

After the game, Park Seung-soo posted a photo of himself wearing a 'discharge cap' on social media in the locker room, and captain Ki-hyuk Lee also mentioned that he will not have to go to the military because of this gold medal.

Following the words and actions of these athletes, there has been a series of claims in the political circles that the special military service system in the arts and sports fields should be modified.