'Son Heung-min' Received Military Service Benefits: AG Wildcards Selected for This Year Are Lee Ki-hyeok, Yang Hyun-joon, and Eom Ji-sung

*This content was translated by AI.

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

According to reports from 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, which includes wildcards, is expected to be announced around mid-July.

The men's Asian Games football tournament features the U23 national team, with up to three players aged 24 or older allowed in the squad. Lee Min-seong serves as the head coach of the South Korean U23 national team.

In the past, South Korea has benefited from wildcard players winning gold medals: Park Ju-ho, Kim Shin-wook, and Kim Seung-gyu 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.

Especially, 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 military service exemption through the gold medal, he has been able to continue his playing career overseas, including in Europe.

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

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

If they resolve their military service issues by winning the gold medal at this year's Asian Games, Yang Hyun-joon 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 overseas advancement.

However, whether Lee Min-seong's team can achieve a fourth consecutive men's football gold medal at the Asian Games remains to be seen, given their serious struggles throughout the preparation process.

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

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*This content was translated by AI.