'Military service exemption reform must improve fairness while preventing career breaks for athletes'
Shin backs reform of Asian Games exemption system, calls for sport-by-sport approach
Differences in competitive structure between individual and team events must be weighed
Military sports team operations, selection quotas and training conditions need review
Shin Su-yeon, CEO of Sports Eum, has proposed that any reform of the Asian Games military service exemption system must both strengthen fairness in military service obligations and guarantee athletes opportunities for specialized training and competition during their service.
Shin, who also serves as a director of the Seoul Sports Council and a human rights officer at the Sports Ethics Center, said Saturday that any discussion of scaling back or abolishing the athletic service personnel system must comprehensively examine the competitive structure of each sport, the operating conditions of military sports teams and the risk of career disruption for athletes.
She said particular attention should be paid to whether sport-specific characteristics can be reflected in the criteria used to evaluate international competition results, given that individual events such as judo and taekwondo operate under fundamentally different competitive conditions than team sports such as baseball and soccer. She added, however, that rather than granting additional benefits to specific sports, fairness must be secured through objective data and transparent evaluation procedures.
"Athletes must be held accountable for inappropriate conduct," Shin said. "At the same time, any change to the system must come with measures that allow athletes to continue training during military service."
Same gold medal, different paths to it — sport-by-sport equity debate needed
The central issue Shin focuses on in the military service exemption debate is the difference in competitive environments across sports.
Even when athletes win the same gold medal at an international competition, she said, the format of competition, the structure of participation, the national team selection process and the impact on an athlete's career can vary significantly from sport to sport.
In individual combat sports such as judo and taekwondo, the tournament format means a single defeat can end a competitor's bid for gold. Weight management by weight class, scouting opponents and maintaining both technique and physical conditioning are burdens each athlete must shoulder alone.
Shin said she has experienced these challenges firsthand — both as a former athlete and as a parent raising a student-athlete.
"In an individual tournament, one loss can end your shot at gold," she said. "The preparation required for each weight class, reading opponents and keeping up your fitness and technique place a heavy burden on the individual athlete."
That said, she was careful not to argue that individual sports are inherently harder or more valuable than team sports.
Team sports such as baseball and soccer carry their own distinct challenges — teamwork, scheduling demands and tactical execution among them. Because each sport's characteristics differ, she said, it is difficult to judge the difficulty of winning a medal simply by counting the number of matches played or the number of participating countries.
Shin also said the total number of countries entered in an international competition cannot be treated as equivalent to the actual number of competitors in a given weight class or event.
A fair assessment, she said, requires looking at the prestige of the competition, the actual level of competition and the national team selection process together.
"Rather than declaring one sport easier than another, we need to examine whether the different competitive structures and career characteristics of each sport can be reflected in the policy discussion," she said.
She said, however, that care must be taken to ensure that incorporating sport-by-sport differences into the system does not itself create new inequities.
If differentiated criteria or additional benefits are to be granted to specific sports, she said, decisions must be based on publicly available data and objective evidence — not on a sport's popularity or the influence of its governing body.
She also proposed establishing a deliberative structure that includes military service policy experts, sports officials, athletes and coaches, and making evaluation criteria and review procedures fully transparent.
Shin identified the ability to continue training during military service as an issue that has received relatively little attention in the exemption reform debate.
Even if the athletic service personnel system is scaled back or abolished, she said, the burden of career disruption can be reduced if athletes have sufficient pathways to continue specialized training and competition during their service.
The current operating conditions of military sports teams, however, vary considerably by sport.
Sports programs that were once run separately by each branch of the military have been consolidated under the Armed Forces Athletic Corps, known as Sangmu, and some sports have since been discontinued or had their temporary programs ended. The mere existence of Sangmu, she said, does not guarantee every athlete in every sport the opportunity to keep training after enlisting.
In practice, the options available to athletes depend on whether their sport is offered, how many spots are available and when enlistment windows open.
Shin said that discussing cuts to or abolition of the exemption system without accounting for this reality risks making it even harder for athletes in some sports to sustain their careers.
Military service, she said, is not simply a matter of pausing training for a set period — it can affect every aspect of an athlete's career, from competing at international events and making the national team to maintaining fitness and technique and returning to their club. In sports that require continuous training, a prolonged absence can make it harder to recover competitive form.
"What matters most is whether conditions exist to keep training during service," she said. "We need to look at whether a military sports team operates in that sport, how many selection opportunities exist and whether there is any way to continue specialized training and competition for those who are not selected."
To that end, she proposed reviewing which sports Sangmu supports and how many athletes it selects, and examining how specialized training and competition can be maintained alongside the core duties of military service.
She said an administrative framework is also needed — one that links access to training facilities, competition approval procedures and support for returning to a club team after discharge.
Beyond the binary of abolish or keep — joint action by relevant agencies urged
Shin said the exemption debate must not be reduced to a binary choice between keeping the current system intact or scrapping it entirely.
She said a range of reform options deserves consideration — adjusting the scope of eligibility, tightening service management and expanding public-interest contributions, among others.
The discussion, she said, should be broadened to find an approach that secures the public's sense of fairness while preserving athletes' opportunities to continue competing.
She said inter-agency cooperation is essential, given that military service policy and sports policy fall under the authority of different institutions.
South Korea's Ministry of National Defense, the Military Manpower Administration, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee and individual sports federations should work together to review the operating status of military sports teams, athlete selection opportunities, the feasibility of specialized training during service and access to competition, she said.
She said whether to introduce a sport-by-sport evaluation framework also requires thorough deliberation.
Factors such as the competitive level and results at international competitions, sustained national team participation and the ability to continue training during service could all be considered, she said, but incorporating them into an actual policy requires objective data and publicly disclosed evaluation criteria as a prerequisite.
"This is not a demand for unconditionally more benefits for any particular sport," Shin said. "If differentiated treatment is to be considered, it must follow publicly disclosed criteria — not a sport's popularity or the clout of its governing body."
She said the timing and manner of any reform also matter.
An abrupt change to the military service system could affect athletes' career plans across the board — from national team selection and preparation for international competitions to university enrollment and club team activities.
She said any change should therefore be phased in, with sufficient advance notice of when it takes effect and what transitional measures apply, and with confirmation that measures to support continued training are in place.
Athletes, their families, schools and club teams all need time to prepare for the change, she added.
Shin's concerns connect directly to her work protecting the rights of student-athletes.
Sports Eum, the organization she leads, aims to create an environment where student-athletes can balance training with academics and plan their futures with stability.
Drawing on the firsthand experiences of student-athletes and their parents, the organization examines difficulties that arise in training, education, career planning and the protection of athletes who have suffered harm, and puts forward proposals for systemic improvement.
Shin said the military service exemption issue is not one that concerns only current national team athletes.
For student-athletes training with the goal of competing at international events, changes to the military service system can also affect how they plan their future careers and athletic lives.
The voices of student-athletes, parents and coaches must therefore be adequately reflected in the reform process, she said.
The goal, she said, is to secure fairness for young people who faithfully fulfill their military service obligations while also addressing the policy imperatives of sustaining national team athletes' careers and developing sporting talent.
Above all, Shin said, public trust must be the starting point for any reform. National team athletes themselves must demonstrate a sense of accountability, she said, and the sports community must actively engage in discussions aimed at a fairer system.
"We must hold athletes accountable for inappropriate conduct, and at the same time any change to the system must come with measures to allow them to keep training during service," she said. "I hope fair standards and workable measures will be put in place together, so that fulfilling one's military service obligation does not become the moment an athlete gives up their career."
7toy7@heraldcorp.com
