South Korea captain apologises after gloating over Military service exemption

South Korea captain Lee Gi-hyuk has apologised after being criticised for celebrating his exemption from mandatory military service following his team’s Asian Games triumph. According to BBC Sport, Lee, 26, held up his gold medal after South Korea’s 1-0 victory over Japan and said he was “not going to the military”.

South Korean men are generally required to complete between 18 and 21 months of military service, although Asian Games gold medallists receive an exemption apart from basic training. Lee later apologised to supporters serving in the military, admitting he should have considered his words more carefully. Tottenham’s Son Heung-min previously received the same exemption after winning Asian Games gold.