Kang Won-rae on Military Service Exemptions: "Is the Military a Place You Are Dragged to Like a Prison?"

Clon's Kang Won-rae, while observing the controversy surrounding the remarks made by some players of the men's football national team regarding military service benefits at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, mentioned the social perception of military service and the need for changes in the military service system. Rather than simply criticizing the slips of the tongue of specific players, he expressed his thoughts by pointing out the historical background in which military service exemptions were created and the social gaze toward soldiers today.

On the 7th, Kang Won-rae posted a long text on his SNS, looking back at what significance sports and military service exemptions held in Korean society in the past. He mentioned the era when the Olympics were used as a stage for competition between nations and a display of national power, explaining his understanding that during times when Korea was also economically difficult, various benefits were provided to athletes to raise the nation's status in the international community and inspire patriotism, and that the current military service exemption system was created in that process.

At the same time, he expressed the thought that as times have changed, the system also needs to change. Kang Won-rae pointed out that "the world has changed a lot now" and that the way South Korea promotes itself to the world is no longer limited to sports but has expanded into various fields such as food and culture. He argued that even if a system was created due to past social needs, if the temporal environment and public perception have changed, its purpose and method of operation also need to be re-examined.

The part where Kang Won-rae showed particular sense of problem was the social gaze toward soldiers. He pointed out that there are still cases where military service is consumed with a negative image rather than being viewed as a process of fulfilling the duty of national defense. He emphasized the need for social respect for military service, writing, "There must be many ways to make us respect soldiers who faithfully practice their duty of national defense, but we look down on soldiers by calling them 'gunbari' (slang for soldier)."

Furthermore, he expressed regret over the reality where even soldiers who are injured during their military service are blamed. In particular, he mentioned both the "perception that entering the military is like being dragged to a prison" and the atmosphere where not going to the military is accepted as a kind of power or privilege. This is interpreted as the intention that this controversy surrounding military service benefits should not be seen merely as a matter of the attitude of specific individual players, but that the overall social perception of military service and duty should be reflected upon together.

The origin of this controversy was the remarks and actions of some players of the men's U-23 football national team after the match, having won the gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games. The Korean national team set a record of winning the men's football gold medal for the fourth consecutive time at the Asian Games by winning 1-0 against Japan in the final on the 3rd. The 1-0 victory of the Korean U-23 national team against Japan is also confirmed in the official records of the Asosiasi Sepak Bola Korea.

However, immediately after the victory, the celebratory atmosphere was added to by controversy as some players directly mentioned military service benefits. Yang Min-hyuk made remarks in an interview to the effect that he approached the match looking for the reward of solving the military service issue rather than medals or trophies, and Lee Ki-hyuk fueled the debate by saying, "I am not going to the military," while holding a gold medal. Additionally, controversy continued as Park Seung-soo posted a photo wearing a discharge cap and then deleted it and apologized. The Asosiasi Sepak Bola Korea also apologized, stating that the careless words and actions of some players caused disappointment and hurt to the public and active-duty soldiers.

Military service benefits following an Asian Games gold medal have long existed as a controversial system in the domestic sports community. It has been operated with the purpose of maintaining the performance of athletes who raised the nation's prestige in international competitions and supporting their athletic careers, but as the standards for promoting national prestige through sports have changed from the past, issues surrounding the fairness of military service obligations have also been steadily raised. Following the remarks of these players, there is an atmosphere where the improvement, reduction, or abolition of the Arts and Sports Personnel system is being discussed again.

Kang Won-rae's remarks seem to have come from this exact point. Beyond the pros and cons regarding the remarks of specific players, he threw out a topic to rethink the social gaze toward military service benefits and the meaning of military service itself. He suggests that while examining whether the benefits given to athletes fit the times, we must also contemplate what kind of respect the soldiers actually performing military service should receive in society.

Ultimately, while this controversy started from a single careless interview, it is expanding the discussion to the long-standing system of military service exemptions and the social perception of military service. The achievements of the players surrounding the gold medal and the debate surrounding military service benefits need to be examined on separate levels. The question posed by Kang Won-rae also leads to a problem of how to view a system created by past necessity in accordance with current social values and standards, beyond criticism of specific players.

Read the original (Korean)