Seoul – South Korea’s Asian Games soccer captain apologized on Sunday for boasting that his gold medal meant he did not have to do military service. South Korea defeated host Japan 1-0 on Saturday in the men’s final in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, for their fourth Asian Games title in a row. Afterward, Lee Gi-hyuk smiled as he held up his gold medal to reporters and said: “I’m not going to the military.” Able-bodied South Korean males are usually required to perform between 18 months and two years of military service before the age of 28.
But the government rewards Asian Games gold medals and Olympic medals of any color with an exemption, meaning they will carry out just weeks of light basic training instead. Exemptions are a sensitive topic in South Korea, and athletes usually shy away from talking about it. The 26-year-old Lee, a defender who plays in the domestic K League, apologized for “the thoughtless remarks I made and the way I behaved after the match, things I should not have said or done, both as captain and as a player.” In a statement on Instagram he said he was “caught up in the happiness, adrenaline and excitement of the moment“.
I deeply regret having spoken so carelessly, and I will continue to reflect on my actions. Lee played in South Korea’s disastrous World Cup campaign in North America, when they went out in the group phase. Golfer Tom Kim also earned a military exemption after winning gold at the Asian Games on Saturday.
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