For South Korean men, there's only one uniform that matters

SEOUL — Few subjects can provoke stronger reactions in South Korea than the issue of mandatory military service. So when two Korean reporters were caught on camera last week making demeaning comments about team captain Son Heung-min’s lack of service, it touched a national nerve.

"Is he running around like a platoon leader because he's the captain?" they mocked, pointing out that he knew nothing about warfare because of a service waiver granted after he led the national team to an Asian Games gold medal in 2018.

Son is no ordinary athlete, despite controversially starting last night's match against South Africa from the bench. He is a global soccer superstar, often described as Asia's greatest-ever player. The perception of him as a trustworthy and well-respected national figure can be seen in his endorsements, including as a brand ambassador for Hana Bank.

And so the backlash against the reporters was swift: The disparagement of the beloved athlete was widely criticized, and South Korea’s national team is now boycotting Korean media interviews. That news alone has made headlines in the country, since the national team has effectively cut off access to domestic reporters as they compete in the biggest sporting event on the planet, limiting their interactions to FIFA-required media appearances. It’s a reminder of how sensitive the military service issue remains, even when the underlying rules have long been settled.

At least 18 months of military service is required for every able-bodied man in South Korea. For many, the mandatory sacrifice inevitably creates frustration toward those who are exempted from it — including elite athletes and entertainers, Koreans with foreign citizenship and disabled citizens.

Nearly two decades ago, those exemptions exploded into the spotlight when the 2002 South Korean squad became the nation’s first and only World Cup team to receive military exemptions for its tournament performance, after its historic fourth-place finish. The backlash was overwhelming in subsequent years — Koreans saw the growing range of sports exemptions as unfair, and as a result, the government dropped World Cup-related exemptions in 2008. Despite the policy change, however, the bitterness surrounding military exemption still haunts the sport.

Today, athletes can still qualify for alternative service through achievements such as winning an Olympic medal or a gold medal at the Asian Games. It’s why Son’s military exemption, which replaces full active-duty service with three weeks of basic military training and alternative services, shouldn’t — in theory — be controversial.

But because nearly all able-bodied men are required by law to serve, questions surrounding who receives special treatment continue to generate intense public scrutiny. Even around the time Son received his exemption in 2018, an online survey showed that 74 percent of participating voters thought that military exemptions should be abolished for athletic and artistic achievements.