"Military exemption" for national champions stirred controversy in South Korea

The images of Park Seung-soo, 19-year-old player of Newcastle United, who plays for the South Korean national team, tilting his military cap on his head and saluting with a smile further fueled the reactions.

Although both football players later apologized for their behavior, in the face of the public discomfort this caused, the Seoul administration decided to reconsider this award system, which was introduced for athletes who brought reputation to the country and had been in place for decades.

Even though the system has been in effect for decades, it was not very noticeable until now because those who earned this right did not "show off" in public in this way.

For example, former Tottenham captain Son Heung-min, who earned an exemption by leading South Korea to victory in the 2018 Asian Games, was quite measured on this issue. When asked about the exemption, he said: "Rather than think about it, we came here to win this tournament." he replied.

According to the award system that has been in effect since 1973 in South Korea, where military service for 18 to 21 months is mandatory, athletes who win gold, silver or bronze medals in the Olympics or gold medals in the Asian Games can obtain exemption from military service on the grounds of "increasing national reputation and promoting culture". Artists who win awards in certain competitions can also benefit from this exemption.

While hundreds of thousands of young men are recruited every year, this latest controversy has exposed the injustice of a structure that rewards only a select few.

"With this discussion, it became clear that military exemption, which only 20-30 people can benefit from every year, has begun to be seen as a reward," an official who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity said. he said.

The same official said, "The fact that these selected few people brag about the exemptions they have earned in front of people's eyes turns military service into a symbolic punishment for the 180 thousand young men who surrender to their units every year." he said.