If BTS has to serve, why are South Korean sportsmen, artists exempt: ex-lawmaker
South Korean football captain Lee Gi-hyuk has come under fire for celebrating the exemption during his team’s Asian Games gold medal win
Yoo Seong-min’s remarks came amid controversy over comments made by members of South Korea’s men’s football team, who recently won its fourth consecutive Asian Games title, regarding the military benefits they received.
South Korea defeated host Japan 1-0 on Saturday in the men’s final in Toyota, near Nagoya. Afterwards, the team’s captain, 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.
