South Korea's men's football team beat Japan 1-0 in the Asian Games final on Saturday. Captain Lee Gi-hyuk then told a TV interviewer, "I'm not going to the military." A teammate posted a locker-room photo of himself wearing a military discharge cap. Winger Yang Min-hyeok said the exemption was the reward the team played for. All three apologized. Korea has exempted top athletes since 1973. Today they swap 18 to 21 months of active duty for three weeks of basic training and 544 hours of community service. For athletes, the bar is an Olympic medal or an Asian Games gold. On Wednesday in Seoul, Defense Minister Kang Shin-cheol told lawmakers his ministry's goal is "gradually reducing and ultimately abolishing" the benefit. Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young told a separate committee the same day that it "will inevitably have to be scaled back."

End It, Because Everyone Else Serves

The defense ministry and lawmakers in both big parties say a shrinking army can't keep handing out passes.

The army is running out of soldiers. Active-duty troops fell from 560,000 in 2019 to 450,000 in 2025. Projections put the force under 350,000 by 2040. Democratic Party Rep. Ahn Gyu-back is a former defense minister. He said manpower is "at a cliff" and it's time to abolish the arts and sports exemptions. He wants financial compensation instead of the exemption.

Everyone is supposed to share the duty to serve. Former People Power Party lawmaker Yoo Seong-min called for full abolition. He said that when the state uses the exemption as an incentive, "the state itself admits" military service is something to avoid. People Power Party Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo asked on Facebook whether the young men who enlist every year are "all suckers."

Even the biggest K-pop stars served. Every member of BTS did his service. At Wednesday's hearing, Reform Party Rep. Chun Ha-ram asked whether an Olympic gold medalist had done more for Korea's image than BTS. Kang answered that everyone has the sacred duty to serve. This week, a National Assembly petition to abolish the exemptions cleared its first endorsement threshold. The petition cites BTS.

The Players Just Followed The Rules, So Fix The Rules

Reformers in both parties want to change who qualifies instead of ending the exemption outright.

The government made skipping the army the prize. People Power Party Rep. Na Kyung-won said "the problem is not the players but the outdated system." She said the state made getting out of military service the reward, so it's natural that players play for it. She wants eligibility to depend on results across many tournaments instead of one.

An Asian Games gold is too easy to get. From 2022 through August 2026, 65 of the 80 athletes who got the exemption qualified through Asian Games gold. Korea's baseball team was all pros. It still lost 0-5 to Japan's squad of corporate-league amateurs, then beat Japan in the final. Democratic Party Rep. Jo Gye-won counted 43 eligible athletes at these Games. Thirty-six of them came from football or baseball.

Korea should shrink the exemption in steps. Democratic Party Rep. Kim Byung-joo is a retired four-star general. He called gradually narrowing who qualifies "a realistic solution." People Power Party chief spokesperson Park Seong-hoon said the national team jersey "is not a 'free pass'" out of the army. He wants criteria tied to each sport's level of competition. People Power Party Rep. Ju Ho-young filed a bill on Oct. 6 that would end the automatic exemption for Asian Games gold and keep the Olympic route.

Still, Don't Gut It Over A Few Players' Remarks

Some editors and academics say small sports and young careers are at stake.

Less popular sports may not survive without the exemption. A Wednesday Herald Business editorial said any cut "must be pursued carefully" because less popular sports depend on the exemption to survive. It credited the exemption for the careers of Park Chan-ho, Choo Shin-soo, Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in. It suggested a points system, or letting athletes serve after their playing days.

Politicians shouldn't legislate off a few players' remarks. Keimyung University sociology professor Im Un-taek said politicians shouldn't pile on over players' "immature remarks." He said any reform should also fix support for less popular sports and come with a real public debate.

An army stint can stall a young athlete's career. Many in Korean sports argue the exemption keeps young athletes' careers from stalling. They say it has also helped less popular sports compete abroad. Culture Minister Choi is calling for cuts. Even so, he said the system helped athletes and artists "maintain and develop" their skills. The government looked at abolishing the exemption in 2019 and kept it. Only about 45 people a year qualified, and officials worried small sports would suffer.

Where This Lands

The defense ministry and lawmakers in both big parties want the exemption gone because the army is shrinking and BTS served like everyone else. Na and other reformers blame rules that hand most exemptions to Asian Games gold medalists. Most of this year's eligible medalists play football or baseball. The Herald Business editors say small sports and young careers are on the line. Im doesn't want a few players' remarks to decide it. The Military Manpower Administration is due to finish its study of the system around Nov. 15. The defense ministry says it will write the cuts into its defense reform plan.

Sources