Seventeen's Jeonghan reflects on 'meaningful' alternative service at special-needs school

Amid controversy over some members of the men's football national team who won gold at the Asian Games — including posts showing military discharge caps and comments suggesting they would avoid mandatory service — Seventeen member Jeonghan has drawn attention by sharing his experience as an alternative service worker at a special-needs school.

Speaking Tuesday on the YouTube channel Salon Drip, Jeonghan said he worked at a special-needs school as a social service worker, describing his role as "a teaching assistant who helped the students." He began his alternative service in September 2024 and was discharged in June.

"It felt more meaningful and rewarding than going to a different posting," he said, expressing satisfaction with the experience.

He added that the school's curriculum included a college entrance track, which meant students had to sit exams. "I helped them study for the tests," he said. "When they went in to take the exam, I'd be on edge wondering, 'Are they doing OK?'"

Jeonghan also shared fond memories he built with the students. "They wrote me letters for Teachers' Day," he said. "When I arrived at work, they would greet me with, 'Good morning, Teacher Yoon Jeonghan.' It always made me smile."

Fellow member Joshua, who appeared on the program alongside him, added that Jeonghan had shared the letters in the group's chat room. "He posted the letters the students gave him for Teachers' Day and showed them off to all of us," Joshua said.

Seventeen's Korean members are currently completing their mandatory military service one by one. Members Joshua, Jun and The8 hold foreign citizenship and are exempt, while S.Coups received a wartime labor designation due to a knee injury.

South Korean players celebrate after winning the gold medal in men's football at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, defeating Japan in the final at Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on Saturday. [Yonhap]

Meanwhile, calls are mounting to overhaul the military service exemption system for the arts and sports sectors after some players who earned exemptions by winning gold at the Asian Games drew criticism for inappropriate conduct and remarks.

As public sentiment soured sharply, the Ministry of National Defense signaled it would revamp the related policy. The Defense Ministry said at a regular briefing that it plans to incorporate into its defense reform master plan a review of options including reducing or abolishing exemptions for supplementary service personnel, including arts and sports workers.

choigo@heraldcorp.com