"They think that as long as they play soccer well, that's all that matters. The players need to wake up," says former K League player Im Min-hyuk, who sharply criticized junior teammates over their "military service remarks"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

"There are many athletes who believe that as long as they play well, everything will be fine. They do not cultivate humanistic literacy or such qualities."

Im Min-hyuk, a politician and former professional footballer in the K League, offered a sharp critique regarding the inappropriate conduct of some players on the Asian Games national football team, which has recently sparked controversy.

On the 9th, Im appeared on MBC Radio's "Kim Jong-bae's Focus" and pointed out the incident involving controversial remarks related to military service exemptions, stating, "I believe the players need to internalize this and wake up. In fact, I think this issue is also a matter of education, as many players seem to believe that playing soccer well is all that matters."

This criticism follows controversies such as statements made after it was confirmed that men's football gold medalists at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya (Japan) Asian Games would receive military service exemptions, including "I won't go to the army" (Lee Ki-hyuk) and "I played only for the reward of a military exemption" (Yang Min-hyuk), as well as Park Seung-soo wearing his discharge cap.

Im added, "I think that if players take this opportunity to feel more strongly that 'I am truly a player who represents [the nation]' and 'I am a player representing a specific sport,' then we will see the emergence of athletes worthy of being national team members."

He also expressed regret over the absence of "football elders" in the industry who could offer such stinging criticism. Im stated, "When incidents like this occur, we need football elders who can scold them sternly," while adding, "Right now, I don't see a single such elder."

The aftermath of the interviews at the time has ultimately fueled strong public opinion that "military service exemptions should be abolished." On the same day on the radio, Im joined Jeong Hee-jun, an executive committee member of the Cultural Solidarity and former professor in the Department of Sports Science at Dong-A University, for a dialogue to share his views on abolishing military service exemptions.

Im said, "I largely agree with gradually reducing [exemptions]. However, I think there may be some issues with setting 'abolition' as the definitive answer and proceeding that way." He continued, "If players currently receiving benefits lose them, it could reduce the options for resolving military service for the players below them in the hierarchy, potentially causing chaos across the entire ecosystem."

He added, "Players of the same age who did not make the national team hope that (the national team players) win gold medals as if it were their own achievement. This is because they can only receive benefits if these players (national team members) do." He noted, "Soccer might end at this level, but for sports with a thin player pool, it could even lead to discussions about the survival of the sport itself. Because such comprehensive issues exist, I believe significant time and discussion are needed."

Im argued, "National team players receive benefits again. This leads to extreme polarization. If they perform well and also receive the benefit of a military exemption, the gap with players who did not receive it will extend all the way to their post-retirement careers as coaches." He stated, "Rather than reducing players' benefits, we should refine these benefits for these players and provide coaching training in other ways for the players below them, or offer training and education that allows them to return if they experience a career break."

Regarding comparisons with BTS directly fulfilling their military service, Im said, "I think that is a valid point. Because I often hear the question: 'Do you know BTS more, or do you know the baseball or soccer players who won gold medals this time more?' This is true both globally and in Korea. So, it is indeed unfair, and I believe changes are needed."

He continued, "I think we should not assign points based solely on the color of the medal at the Olympics or Asian Games. If athletes consistently perform well in the World Cup or other world championships, they should be given a certain number of points." He explained, "(For example) if we set 100 points as the standard for (military service exemptions), winning a gold medal at the Asian Games could earn 50 points, and the remaining 50 points could be earned by serving as a national team member over a long period, thereby contributing to the nation's prestige."

He added, "I believe professional athletes have goals not only to earn money but also to provide dreams and hope to society. Players receiving exemptions do not simply avoid the army; they fulfill over 500 hours of community service. I think there are sufficient alternatives, such as increasing this time." He noted, "Players like Park Ji-sung, Son Heung-min, Park Chan-ho, and Ryu Hyun-jin have certainly played a role in developing their respective sports."

Im Min-hyuk, who served his military service as an active-duty soldier during his professional career and returned to professional life after discharge, said, "Realistically, it is quite difficult. However, the timing of service could be adjusted more flexibly or postponed. There are also ways to supplement the military team system, training and education systems for players who served as active duty, and support for coaching training." He concluded, "I think it is appropriate to provide significant benefits to players who meet high standards and smaller benefits to those with lower standards, adjusting accordingly."

After finishing the dialogue, Im revealed through StarNews, "Instead of simply dividing pass/fail based on points for (military service exemptions), I felt that we could make it more refined by gradually adding supplementary measures such as adjusting service timing, military team placement, and return support according to score ranges."

Regarding the criticism asking "Why should the state show consideration only to athletes?", Im responded, "It is not because athletes are special, but because the time structure of the profession itself is different." He explained, "Most professions accumulate experience and skill with age, but for athletes, their playing career and income are concentrated in their 20s and early 30s when physical abilities are at their peak. Even for the same 18 months, the loss due to the nature of the job can be much greater." He added, "The intention is not to grant military exemptions as a matter of course, but to design the military service system more precisely by taking these differences into account."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original