Soccer national team players who bragged about 'military exemptions'; Ahn Cheol-soo asks, "Are young men who enlist chumps?"

[Financial News] The controversy over remarks and actions by some members of South Korea's men's soccer team regarding military-service benefits has spread into the political sphere. Ahn Cheol-soo, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, argued that the military exemption granted at the Asian Games should be reconsidered.
Ahn Cheol-soo wrote on Facebook on October 4, "A national soccer team that boasts about not serving in the military—is the military a place to be hated? Are soldiers who lost an ankle for the country fools?" He added, "It is utterly disheartening that the awareness of players wearing the Taegeuk emblem and playing for the national team is at this level."
The controversy erupted after South Korea defeated Japan 1-0 the previous day to win the men's soccer title at the Asian Games for a record fourth consecutive time. Twenty players, excluding the three who had already completed their military service, became eligible for military-service benefits after winning the gold medal.
In a post-match interview, Yang Min-hyeok said, "The medal and the victory were not important. Since a military exemption was the reward, I played the game with only that in mind." Team captain Lee Gi-hyuk held up the gold medal and said, "I'm not going to the army," while Park Seung-soo posted a photo of himself wearing a so-called 'military discharge cap' in the locker room on social media.
Ahn Cheol-soo criticized the players, saying, "Are the countless young men who enlist every year all chumps?" He added, "A few days ago, a soldier lost an ankle to a North Korean land mine on the western front. Saying that one is serving the country is something that should be said in the context of such sacrifices." He continued, "Many players win and bring home gold medals without receiving military exemptions. Granting a military exemption to national team players who disgrace the country and hate the military is completely unwarranted."


As the controversy spread, the players also apologized in succession. After returning home that day, Lee Gi-hyuk said, "As the team captain, I should have considered the weight of every word," adding, "I sincerely apologize to everyone currently fulfilling their duty of national defense." He also posted on social media, "I hurt people with remarks and actions that focused on the fact that I had received a military-service benefit," and said he would reflect on his actions.
Park Seung-soo also wrote on social media, "I sincerely apologize to anyone who may have felt uncomfortable because of my actions." Explaining that he had put on a hat he received from a fan at the venue, he said, "I was so overwhelmed with joy and excitement that I failed to think deeply about what the hat signified." He added, "I never intended to mock those fulfilling their duty of national defense or to take their hard work lightly."
Ryu Seung-min, president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC), also described the players' remarks at a wrap-up press conference that day as "remarks that did not accord with public sentiment." He said the KSOC would seek ways to ensure that national team players maintain dignity in their expressions.

[email protected] Kim Kyung-min Reporter