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Originally Posted by devo22
^ how strict are they regarding the military service in Korea? Would they really rob a guy like Son of his prime years?
I mean, I really fail to see why an international top athlete wouldn't be allowed to do his service after retirement.
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They are extremely strict. I think if you polled Korea people, they wouldn't even agree to the rules set right now for athletes. The government set a precedent exempting the 2002 Korean World Cup team and put itself in a corner.
non sports-related, you should see the debate going on about the band BTS.
https://www.soompi.com/article/12056...tary-exemption
PSY had to go TWICE because he performed too much during his first stint.
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According to Korea’s military service law, those with special abilities in the fields of the arts or athletics train for four weeks in basic military training centers with other recruits, but spend 2 years and 10 months as public service workers in their respective fields, rather than as active soldiers. This is described as being for both cultural development and the enhancement of national prestige.
Among artists who have come in second place or higher in international competitions chosen by the Military Affairs Director, the two artists with the highest grades are included on the exemption list. For those with no international competition for their field, the artist with the highest grade among those who have received first place in domestic competitions receives the exemption.
Athletes who win bronze or higher in the Olympics or come in first in the Asian Games are also eligible for this special exemption.
While this might be a hot topic among K-pop fans, it is important to remember that the debate is not specifically about K-pop but about who and what qualifies for exemptions in all fields. Do the current conscription law and exemption criteria accurately represent the skills, aspirations, and needs of modern Korean society? Olympians receive exemptions because they compete in an internationally recognized system with over a hundred years of history. But is it possible to define achievements based on a platform that is barely decades old and has constantly changing algorithms like YouTube, for example? Is eSports not a sport?
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