Childish 'Military Discharge Cap Controversy'... Lee Min-sung's Team Returns Home Like Criminals Despite Winning Gold

[Financial News] The unprecedented feat of winning four consecutive Asian Games titles on home soil in Japan was completely tarnished by some players' "loose talk" and "reckless behavior."
Public anger is reaching a boiling point over the thoughtless behavior of those who became consumed solely by the benefit of "military-service exemption" instead of taking pride in wearing the national team jersey.
South Korea's Under-23 (U-23) national soccer team, led by coach Lee Min-sung, defeated Japan 1-0 in the final of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on the 3rd to win the gold medal. But before the afterglow of the victory had faded, a bitter and shocking controversy erupted.
At the center of the controversy are 19-year-old Park Seung-soo (Newcastle), the youngest player on the team, and next-generation star Yang Min-hyeok (Westerlo).

Park Seung-soo, who had not played at all during the tournament before being brought on as a late substitute in the final, boldly posted a photo of himself beaming in the locker room while wearing a "military discharge cap" immediately after the victory. Criticism poured in that the teenage prospect, who had never even set foot in a boot camp, had made a mockery of the sacred duty of national defense. Although he hastily deleted the photo, the fallout continued to spread.
Yang Min-hyeok's interview added fuel to the fire. Speaking to reporters, he said, "I played the game with only the reward of military-service exemption in mind, rather than the medal or trophy." He even boasted, as though recounting a feat, that he had trained to the song "A Letter from a Private."
His remarks inevitably led to accusations that, as a national team player, he had diminished the value of his gold medal by presenting it as a means of "legal military-service evasion."
That frivolity stood in stark contrast to Eom Ji-sung of Swansea City, the hero of the winning goal, who maintained the dignity expected of an ace by saying, "I thought only about the goal of winning a gold medal, not the military-service benefits."
Ultimately, their over-the-line behavior triggered a broadside from politicians.
Ahn Cheol-soo, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, launched a direct attack on social media on the 4th, saying, "Is the military a hated facility? Are all the young men who enlist every year suckers?" Referring to a soldier who recently lost his ankle to a land mine, Ahn said, "Military-service exemption is out of the question for those who disgrace the nation and disparage the military.
The Asian Games military-service exemption program must be reconsidered in full," he said in a strongly worded criticism. Ryu Seung-min, president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC), also expressed his dismay, calling it "behavior out of step with public sentiment."


Amid the torrent of criticism, the journey home, which should have been a triumphant return, turned into a "scene of apology." At the arrival site on the 4th, Lee Gi-hyuk bowed his head with a grim expression and offered a belated apology, saying, "I should have thought more about the weight of my words. All the players are reflecting." The Korea Football Association also issued an apology on the 4th, stating, "We deeply apologize for disappointing and hurting many members of the public and active-duty soldiers through the reckless words, actions and interviews of some players, who were unable to contain their joy over the achievement of winning the gold medal."
Lee Min-sung's team returned home like criminals after winning the gold medal, receiving harsh criticism instead of applause. The monumental achievement of winning four consecutive Asian Games titles on Japan's home turf was thoroughly tarnished amid the fierce backlash caused by some players' thoughtless words and actions.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter