Minister Choi Hwi-young on military-service benefits: “We have no choice but to move toward reducing them” [2026 Parliamentary Audit]

[Financial News] Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young said he would review the system with a view to reducing special military-service benefits for arts and sports personnel. He said ways to help athletes and artists maintain their abilities would also be discussed while addressing concerns over fairness.
At the parliamentary audit of the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee on the 7th, Minister Choi said in response to a related question from Cho Eun-hee of the People Power Party, “Of course, we have no choice but to move toward reducing them.”
Cho challenged the fairness of the system, saying, “The national team is supposed to compete with the country’s honor at stake, not serve as a ticket for professional athletes to resolve their military-service issues, is it?” In response to the minister’s answer that the matter would be reviewed comprehensively, she pressed him for specific proposals for improvement.
Minister Choi explained that the existing system had helped outstanding artists and athletes maintain and develop their abilities, but that perceptions of military service and fairness had changed. The idea was to also consider ways to support artists’ and athletes’ abilities and morale alongside reducing the benefits.
He added, “Since the Ministry of National Defense also has several options, including abolishing the system, I will discuss it with the ministry.”
Jo Gye-won of the Democratic Party of Korea pointed out that 36 of the 43 people eligible for military-service benefits at this Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games were football or baseball players, highlighting how the benefits were concentrated in certain sports. Citing some gold medalists’ words and actions related to their military-service benefits, he also raised concerns about fairness among young people.
Controversy had earlier arisen over national football team captain Lee Gi-hyeok holding up his gold medal and saying, “I don’t have to serve in the military,” as well as Park Seung-su wearing a military discharge cap.
Jo Gye-won proposed introducing a points-based system that would assess results accumulated across international competitions, saying that winning a world championship alone does not qualify an athlete for the benefits.
Minister Choi called some athletes’ words and actions “really immature.” He added, “I will gather views from the arts and sports sectors, consult with the Ministry of National Defense and the Military Manpower Administration, and once again work to devise fundamental, comprehensive measures.”
He also agreed with a proposal to strengthen the Armed Forces Athletic Corps (Sangmu) so athletes can maintain their abilities while serving in the military.
Currently, in sports, those who place third or higher at the Olympics or win first place at the Asian Games are eligible to be assigned as arts and sports personnel. Arts and sports personnel are supplementary service members who fulfill their military service by working in their respective fields.
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