Tottenham’s Yang Min-hyeok Apologises After Military Service Comments Spark Backlash

Tottenham Hotspur winger Yang Min-hyeok has apologised after a backlash in South Korea over his comments about military service exemption following the country's gold medal win at the Asian Games.

The 20-year-old, who is on a season-long loan at Belgian side Westerlo, played a big part in South Korea's win over hosts Japan in Saturday's final. He set up the winning goal for Swansea City's Eom Jisung. But his words after the game overshadowed the celebrations.

Asked what the win meant, Yang said: "We were being compensated, and the compensation was military exemption, so it feels like we played with that one thing in mind. Honestly, whether it was a trophy or a medal wasn't important." Many fans read this as him brushing off the honour of playing for the national team.

In South Korea, able-bodied men must do between 18 and 21 months of military service before they turn 28. Elite athletes who win gold at the Asian Games, or any medal at the Olympics, are exempt and only complete a few weeks of basic training. Former Spurs captain Son Heung-min used this route in 2018.

As the criticism grew, Yang went to social media with a long apology. "Hello, this is Yang Min-hyeok. I am sincerely sorry for causing disappointment and discomfort to so many people with my remarks regarding the Asian Games. Participating in the Asian Games as a representative of South Korea held great significance for me, and as an athlete, I naturally gave my all with the goal of winning the championship and the gold medal. However, I failed to properly convey that the military service exemption was merely one of several motivators - alongside the desire to achieve great results - that drove me forward," he wrote.

Some people also felt his words were insensitive to the thousands of young men now serving in the army, and he spoke to that point too. 

"Regardless of my original intent, it is clearly my fault that my words caused discomfort and made it appear as though I took the significance of the gold medal lightly as a national team athlete. I recognise that the gold medal was not something simply guaranteed; it was an achievement made possible only through the hard work and support of many people. Furthermore, I never intended to belittle or mock the efforts of those currently fulfilling their military service obligations or those who will do so in the future. I sincerely apologise to everyone who was hurt or disappointed by my thoughtless remarks. Moving forward, I will strive to make amends not only through my words but by demonstrating a better attitude and a greater sense of responsibility on the field. My sincere apologies," he said.

The gold is South Korea's fourth in a row in the Asian Games men's football. The run began in 2014 with a 1-0 extra-time win over North Korea, decided by defender Rim Chang-woo's goal in the 121st minute.