'Son Heung-min granted exemption from military service' AG wildcard selected: Lee Ki-hyeok, Yang Hyun-jun, and Eom Ji-sung chosen for this year

*This content was translated by AI.

For the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya (Japan) Asian Games men's football tournament, wildcards (players aged 24 and over) have been selected as Lee Ki-hyeok (26·Gangwon FC), Yang Hyun-jun (24·Celtic FC), and Eom Ji-sung (24·Swansea City).

According to the football community on the 9th, the Korea Football Association has submitted the final roster of 23 players, including these three, to the Korean Olympic Committee. The final list, including wildcards, is expected to be announced around mid-July.

The Asian Games men's football tournament features the U23 national team, with up to three players aged 24 and over allowed in the squad. The head coach of the South Korea U23 national team is Lee Min-seong.

In the past, South Korea fielded Park Ju-ho, Kim Shin-wook, and Kim Seung-gyu as wildcards at the 2014 Incheon Games; Son Heung-min, Hwang Ui-jo, and Cho Hyun-woo at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games; and Baek Seung-ho, Park Jin-seop, and Seol Young-woo at the 2022 Hangzhou Games, each contributing to a gold medal victory.

In particular, Son Heung-min's participation in the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games was his last chance to resolve his military service issue. Thanks to receiving a dramatic special exemption through the gold medal, he was able to continue his playing career overseas, including in Europe.

The wildcards selected this year—Lee Ki-hyeok, Yang Hyun-jun, and Eom Ji-sung—are all players who have not yet served in the military. Coincidentally, they were also called up by coach Hong Myung-bo to represent South Korea at the 2026 FIFA World Cup CONCACAF Qualifiers.

Lee Ki-hyeok played on the left side of Hong Myung-bo's three-back system but can also operate as a midfielder or fullback, while Eom Ji-sung and Yang Hyun-jun are capable of playing both as wide wingers and wingbacks. They share the common trait of being "multi-players."

If they resolve their military service issues by winning the gold medal at this Asian Games, Yang Hyun-jun and Eom Ji-sung, who have already established themselves in Europe, could extend their careers on the European stage. For Lee Ki-hyeok, who plays in the K League, it could serve as a stepping stone for an overseas move.

However, whether Lee Min-seong's team can achieve a fourth consecutive Asian Games men's football gold medal remains to be seen. The team has suffered serious poor form throughout the preparation process for the Asian Games.

Just last January at the AFC U23 Asian Cup, Lee Min-seong's team lost to Japan and Uzbekistan (both U21 teams, two years younger) and suffered their first-ever defeat against Thailand, finishing in fourth place. Last month, during a friendly match held in Thailand, they also suffered a shocking 0-1 loss to Kyrgyzstan.

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*This content was translated by AI.