Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in's past remarks reexamined amid controversy over military service benefits for Asian Games gold medals

While the players who won men's soccer gold medals at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games are being criticized for their careless words and actions related to military service benefits, the 'exemplary' winning comments from star players in previous competitions are attracting attention again.

Lee Kang-in (Atletico Madrid) won a gold medal as a member of the 'Hwangseonhongho' team at the Hangzhou Asian Games three years ago and was effectively exempted from military service.

Thanks to this, Lee Kang-in was able to continue his career more stably on the European stage. He was a member of the 'star team' Paris Saint-Germain (France) at the time, and is currently playing for Atletico Madrid, a 'top three' team in Spain's La Liga.

After winning the championship in Hangzhou, Lee Kang-in answered seriously every time a question was asked about military service benefits.

He cautiously said, "Actually, (military service) wasn't that big of a burden," and "It's true that my future career as a player has become more comfortable, but I don't have any special thoughts about it as it is something all Korean men have to do."

Lee Kang-in also said, “It was a special and good experience for me, especially winning my first game representing the Republic of Korea. I don’t think I will ever forget it.”

The same was true for Son Heung-min (LAFC), who won the gold medal at the Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang eight years ago.

When asked about military service exceptions, he said, "Actually, this was a competition I went to win more than anything else, and that was always my goal, and I think that was the first thing I told the players about."

Both Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in repeatedly emphasized that they achieved the championship together with their teammates, representing their country, rather than the sweetness of military service benefits.

There is no way that both players would not have been happy about the military service benefits. However, this was not revealed openly. He sacrificed his youth in his 20s to shine brightly and showed the dignity of a star while remaining courteous to the soldiers of his age who protect the country.

The juniors were the complete opposite.

Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon), who served as captain in this competition, said in a broadcast interview after winning the gold medal, “I’m not going to the military,” and lifted the gold medal with a bright smile.

Yang Min-hyuk (Westerlo) said, "I didn't think medals or trophies were important. There was a reward called military exemption (military service benefit), so I think I played with that in mind."

Park Seung-soo of Newcastle in the English Premier League (EPL) aggravated controversy by posting a photo of himself wearing a 'military cap' on social media after winning the gold medal.

Public opinion, outraged by their words and actions, wants to 'abolish or significantly reduce military service special provisions.' The political world, regardless of the ruling and opposition parties, is moving, saying that 'system improvement' is necessary.