South Korea’s football team, recently awarded the gold medal at the Asian Games, is at the center of a national controversy. According to RFI, the team’s captain expressed his happiness at benefiting from a military service exemption program reserved for athletes who have won an international competition.
This celebration has triggered intense debate in the country, where military service is mandatory for most young men. The controversy reflects tensions surrounding this exemption policy, viewed by some as an inequality between athletes and ordinary citizens.