Lee Ki-hyuk drew criticism after saying 'I won't be going to the military' following gold medal win

Gangwon Province Governor Woo Sang-ho says athletes who fought for gold deserve encouragement

Lee Ki-hyuk, captain of the under-23 men's football team that won gold at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, speaks to reporters after arriving at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on Sunday. [Newsis]
Lee Ki-hyuk, captain of the under-23 men's football team that won gold at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, speaks to reporters after arriving at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on Sunday. [Newsis]

Gangwon Province Governor Woo Sang-ho has come to the defense of Lee Ki-hyuk, captain of the men's football team that won gold at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, saying the Gangwon FC midfielder "made a mistake" but deserves more encouragement for his efforts in winning the medal.

Woo made the remarks Wednesday at the Gangwon Sports Council Hall during a send-off ceremony for Gangwon Province athletes ahead of the 107th National Sports Festival and a welcome event for the province's delegation returning from the Asian Games.

"Lee Ki-hyuk probably won't be here today, but even though he made a bit of a mistake, we should give him more encouragement for the fight he put up to win that gold medal," Woo said.

He added that "adults who belittle achievements are bad adults," saying any misstep deserved only a light reprimand. "But they really did so well. The Gangwon-born athletes who brought home gold this time did so well. That is something I really wanted to say," he said.

Woo said it was the role of the provincial sports council and Gangwon Province to create conditions that allow athletes to perform at their best. "I want Gangwon Province to be the kind of place that tells them it's OK and that there will be a next time," he said.

Earlier, Lee sparked controversy on Saturday, immediately after the men's football team's gold medal victory at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, when he held up his medal in the mixed zone and declared, "I won't be going to the military." He said at the time that he had been nine days away from his enlistment date and that the military service exemption had been a particularly pressing, real-world concern for him.

The controversy widened as similarly careless remarks about military exemptions from other players, including Yang Min-hyuk and Park Seung-su, drew broad public criticism.

Lee subsequently posted an apology on social media, writing that as team captain he "should have spoken with a sense of responsibility, weighing every word," but had failed to do so.


jshan@heraldcorp.com