The trigger for the review came when three players on the men's football team faced criticism following their 1-0 victory over Japan in the Asian Games final. Yang Min-hyuk, who is on loan at Belgian club Westerlo from Tottenham Hotspur, said he played "with only one thing in mind: the reward of a military service exemption." Newcastle United midfielder Park Seung-soo also drew fire for a social media post.
The incident reignited a broader debate about the fairness of special treatment for athletes, particularly as members of the globally renowned K-pop group BTS completed their full service without exemption.
Under the current system, most South Korean men must complete 18 to 21 months of military service by the age of 28. Since 1973, Olympic medallists and Asian Games gold medallists have been able to replace this obligation with a supplementary service consisting of just three weeks of basic training.
"It is true that the system has contributed to helping outstanding artists and athletes maintain and develop their abilities," Minister Choi told the National Assembly committee. "However, the values attached to fairness and public perceptions of military service have changed. I agree that the system should be comprehensively reviewed once again."
Choi stated that the alternative military service exemption system for artists and athletes "will inevitably have to be scaled back."