'Even the UK's BBC has weighed in': Historic humiliation for Korean football — "South Korea's captain brags about dodging military service, then apologizes"… What kind of disgrace is this after winning gold?

*This content was translated by AI.

It has ultimately become an embarrassing target of ridicule, even making it to the main news broadcast of the UK's 'BBC,' one of the world's leading public broadcasters. The atmosphere continues to escalate around the scandal involving South Korea's national team, which achieved the first-ever four consecutive titles in men's football at the Asian Games, over their blatant remarks regarding military service exemption and inappropriate celebrations.

The British media outlet 'BBC' reported on the 6th (Korean time) that "South Korea's captain Lee Ki-hyuk bragged about avoiding mandatory military service after winning a gold medal at the Asian Games, before later apologizing."

The outlet zeroed in on Lee Ki-hyuk's impulsive act of holding up his gold medal triumphantly and shouting, "I'm not going to the army," in front of reporters immediately after defeating host nation Japan 1-0 in the final. It further reported that as the situation spiraled out of control, Lee bowed his head, stating via his personal social media service (SNS), "I sincerely apologize to those currently serving in the military and to everyone who has genuinely supported us. As an adult, I should have been more careful before speaking. I deeply regret my hasty remarks and will continue to reflect on them."

'BBC' detailed the mandatory service regulations for Korean men to explain the background of this incident. The outlet stated, "Most Korean men must complete 18 to 21 months of active military service before the age of 28," adding, "However, the government grants a military service exemption benefit to Asian Games gold medalists and Olympic medalists, requiring them to undergo only basic military training of less than one month."

It also mentioned side by side the cases of golf star Kim Ju-hyung (Tom Kim), who won a gold medal at this tournament and received a military exemption, and former Tottenham Hotspur player Son Heung-min, who completed only three weeks of basic military training in 2020 after winning the 2018 Asian Games.

This scandal has been dominating the headlines of major European media outlets daily, extending beyond Asia. Previously, the prominent British newspaper 'The Telegraph' focused on the issue, stating that "the captain of the South Korean national football team bragged about his military service exemption immediately after winning the Asian Games, only to face a fierce backlash from fans and the political sphere," and that it "triggered strong opposition surrounding the special military service exemption system for sports stars."

At the time, 'The Telegraph' not only criticized Lee Ki-hyuk but also exposed the misconduct of Tottenham loanee Yang Min-hyung (Vestelo), who bluntly confessed that he "played solely for the reward of a military service exemption," and Park Seung-soo, a Newcastle United player, who posted a photo on SNS wearing his discharge cap in the locker room.

Japanese media outlet 'Ronsport,' which covered the final opponent, also pointed out that "some players who received military benefits through the gold medal privilege made remarks such as not going to the army or playing only for the exemption, leading to an unusual situation where they faced fierce domestic criticism and bowed their heads." It added, "Controversy over the existence of the system is brewing, along with criticism questioning whether it is fair to beat Japan's under-21 core team to receive a military exemption, given that BTS also completed active military service."

Chinese media outlet 'Sohu.com' also ran a major story under the headline "For the sake of military exemption only! South Korea men's football, excited after Asian Games victory, displays 'I don't have to go to the army' attitude," stating that "South Korean players reduced their purpose of representing the national team to avoiding military service, and the honor of the medal has been transformed into a means of transaction for personal welfare."

Despite Lee Ki-hyuk, Yang Min-hyung, and Park Seung-soo posting apologies in succession, and even the Korea Football Association and Yoo Seung-min, president of the Korean Sports Council, bowing their heads amid the barrage of criticism from both domestic and international sources, the impact has not easily subsided. Despite building a historic golden tower with four consecutive titles, South Korean football has fallen into being mocked by major global foreign media due to immature words and actions that forgot the sense of duty of the Taegeuk mark.

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*This content was translated by AI.