Lawmaker Cho proposes cumulative points system across international competitions

Minister Choi calls athletes' remarks about exemptions 'immature'

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young answers lawmakers' questions during a national audit of the ministry held by the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee on Wednesday. [Yonhap]
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young answers lawmakers' questions during a national audit of the ministry held by the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee on Wednesday. [Yonhap]

Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young said Wednesday he would gather opinions from the sports and arts communities and consult with the Ministry of National Defense and the Military Manpower Administration to draw up a comprehensive plan to reform the military service exemption system for athletes and artists.

Speaking at a national audit of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism by the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, Choi told Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Cho Gye-won, who raised the issue, that "the concept of military service and the value placed on fairness seem to have changed significantly with the times," adding that he would "again seek a comprehensive set of measures, as the public has raised concerns."

Under the current enforcement decree of the Military Service Act, athletes who finish third or higher at the Olympics or first at the Asian Games are eligible to be enrolled as arts and sports personnel, fulfilling their military obligation through their field. For team sports, the benefit applies only to players who actually competed in the relevant event.

Cho said that of the 43 athletes set to be enrolled as arts and sports personnel following the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, 36 were soccer and baseball players, pointing to a concentration of benefits in specific sports.

Remarks by some gold medalists also drew criticism. Men's soccer player Yang Min-hyeok said he "played the game with only the reward of a military exemption in mind," while team captain Lee Gi-hyeok held up his gold medal and declared, "I'm not going to the military." Park Seung-su posted a photo of himself wearing a military discharge cap on social media before deleting it and apologizing. Choi called the conduct "truly immature."

Cho also noted that winning a world championship carries no eligibility for arts and sports personnel status. He proposed that the government consider introducing a points-based system that accumulates results across multiple international competitions, rather than determining eligibility based on a single result at a specific event.

Choi acknowledged that "the arts and sports personnel military exemption system has indeed contributed to helping talented athletes and artists maintain and develop their skills," and said he would consult with the sports and arts sectors as well as the Defense Ministry and the Military Manpower Administration.

Choi also expressed agreement with Cho's proposal to revitalize the Armed Forces Athletic Corps — known as Sangmu — and introduce institutional measures to help athletes maintain their skills while on active duty.


yjc@heraldcorp.com