“Only had military exemption in mind”: Yang Min-hyeok, embroiled in controversy over military-service interview, scores maiden goal in Belgium

[Financial News] Yang Min-hyeok (KVC Westerlo), who recently sparked controversy with remarks about military service shortly after the Asian Games, scored his first goal in Belgium in his return match for his club.
On the 12th (Korea time), Yang came on as a substitute in Westerlo’s home match against Royal Antwerp at Het Kuipje in Westerlo, Belgium, in the eighth round of the 2026–27 Belgian Jupiler Pro League, scoring the goal that sealed his team’s 5–1 rout.
Yang, who had been waiting on the bench, came on as a right winger for Isa Sakamoto in the 40th minute of the second half, with his team leading 3–1.
The goal came in the 51st minute of the second half, just before the final whistle. After an Antwerp free-kick, Yang collected a long throw forward from goalkeeper Andreas Jungdal as Westerlo launched a counterattack. He then beat an opposing defender and found the net with a precise left-footed shot inside the penalty area. It was his first goal in the league, coming in his third appearance since joining Westerlo on loan this summer.

Westerlo, whose 5–1 rout was capped by Yang’s clincher, moved up to sixth in the league with 13 points (four wins, one draw and three losses).
Yang, formerly of K League 1 side Gangwon FC, gained experience on loan at Championship (second-tier) clubs including Queens Park Rangers (QPR), Portsmouth and Coventry City after joining Tottenham Hotspur Football Club in the English Premier League (EPL). He then signed a loan deal with Belgian side Westerlo ahead of this season, taking on the challenge of playing in a European top-flight league.
Yang was part of South Korea’s under-23 (U-23) football team at the recently concluded 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, helping the team win its fourth consecutive title. However, remarks he made after the tournament drew scrutiny.
In an interview with reporters shortly after the final, he said, “I think I played with only one reward in mind: exemption from military service,” drawing fierce public criticism. As the controversy grew, Yang apologized on his personal social media account, saying, “What I meant—that military-service benefits were one of several motivations—was conveyed incorrectly.”
[email protected] Sang-il Jeon Reporter