Gov’t to review military exemption system after Asian Games athlete celebrations draw backlash

The decades-old military exemption system for athletes faces a review following public backlash over celebrations by the Asian Games' gold medal-winning men's football team.

The controversy erupted after members of the team defended their title at the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 on Saturday.

During an interview after the win, captain Lee Gi-hyuk held up his gold medal and shouted, “I don’t have to serve in the military!” Winger Yang Min-hyeok was also criticized for saying his focus was on the exemption rather than the medal, while forward Park Seung-soo posted a photo of himself celebrating while wearing a cap typically worn by those who have completed mandatory military service.

In South Korea, all able-bodied men must complete 18 to 21 months of service under a mandatory draft system. Athletes who finish third or higher at the Olympics or win a gold medal at the Asian Games can be assigned to alternative service and only have to complete three weeks of basic training and 544 hours of community service over 34 months.

Following the incident, Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul announced during a National Assembly audit on government bodies on Wednesday that"the ministry's goal is to gradually scale back the military exemption system for athletes and artists and ultimately abolish it."

"The disparaging of the sacred duty of national defense is deeply regrettable," Kang added, referring to the athletes’ remarks and actions.

The ministry will take into consideration factors including fairness among those subject to mandatory military service, the declining number of available recruits and public consensus in making its decision to scale back or abolish the exemption system, according to a statement on Tuesday.

The military exemption system for athletes and artists began 53 years ago as part of a state-led push to develop elite athletes, offering them a chance at an uninterrupted career. It was introduced the year after South Korea fell behind North Korea in the medal race at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Ruling party members also supported the decision.

"Given that times have changed and South Korea’s status in the world has changed, there is a sense of a need to significantly revise or adjust who qualifies for [military exemption] benefits and how they are granted," Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok said in a video posted on the party's YouTube channel on Wednesday.

Kim added that "several lawmakers have already proposed legislation to abolish the military exemption system or limit the sports eligible for the benefit" and that the party tentatively agreed to leave it to individual lawmakers to review whether it would be better to make adjustments to the system.

Public criticism has also been growing over the athletes’ remarks and actions.

A petition calling for the abolition of the military exemption system was posted on the National Assembly’s public petition website on Monday. It received 100 endorsements on the day it was posted and is under review for public release.

The petitioner said the system is not fair as benefits are concentrated in only a handful of sports and artistic fields, and cited K-pop megaband BTS as an example.

The debate first crescendoed around 2018, when BTS became the first Korean act to top the Billboard 200 and brought unprecedented global attention to the country. Some politicians called for the septet to receive a military service exemption as the members approached the age for mandatory service — which would force a nearly two-year hiatus on the band.

In November 2021, a National Assembly subcommittee discussed a bill that planned to allow prominent pop culture artists — with BTS mainly at the center of the discussion — to do alternative service as arts personnel.

Alternative service is available to artists who place second or higher in designated international arts competitions, win first place in designated domestic arts competitions or complete at least five years of training and obtain qualifications in an important intangible cultural heritage. The proposed revision sought to extend the system to prominent pop culture artists.

But the discussion ultimately fell through, and BTS members enlisted one by one.

A points-based system is among the options being considered for reforming the military exemption system. Under the proposal, athletes and artists would accumulate points based on competitions and results.

“We will gather input from the sports and arts communities and consult with the Defense Ministry and the Military Manpower Administration to come up with comprehensive and fundamental reforms, including a points-based system that has been proposed in public discussions,” Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young said during a parliamentary audit on Wednesday.

BY LEE TAE-HEE, JEONG HYE-JEONG [[email protected]]