Lee Kyung-gyu: "Wearing a discharge cap and not going to the military? You touched a sensitive nerve" – Direct hit on military service benefits [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Broadcaster Lee Kyung-gyu delivered a direct critique regarding comments made by some members of the Asian Games national football team concerning their exemption from military service.

On the 7th, Lee released a video titled "Lee Kyung-gyu, who has completed his military service, is furious after watching an interview about military service exemptions" on his YouTube channel, 'God Kyung-gyu.'

In the video, Lee stated, "I am also someone who has served in the military. That is a matter for players to discuss among themselves. Even if that were the case, it is not something to be said in an interview," after hearing about the controversy surrounding interviews with some Asian Games players regarding the military.

He continued, "It is like when I was asked, 'Mr. Lee Kyung-gyu, why are you doing this broadcast?' and answered, 'Because they pay me.' How unpleasant would that be for the viewers? That is not how one should speak."

Lee said, "They should say, 'We played for honor and for our country.' There is a player named Lee Young-jun who came from Europe after completing his military service. He came to win a gold medal," adding, "The flower of sports is an Olympic medal. Because the players are young, many people understand them, but saying that players won such medals in order to avoid military service..."

He further pointed out, "Whether they are young or old, it is a grave mistake. What would the Kim Cheon (SVP) players who are watching that interview think? They are currently serving in the military while receiving a salary of 1 million won. There are several areas in our country that must not be touched, and the military is absolutely one of them. The military is a sensitive issue."

The South Korean national football team, led by coach Lee Min-seong, defeated Japan 1-0 in the men's football final of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held on the 3rd to win the gold medal.

However, controversy arose over inappropriate remarks and actions related to military service benefits, as captain Lee Gi-hyuk (Gangwon FC) waved the gold medal in front of reporters in the mixed zone immediately after the match and said, "We are not going to the military," while Yang Min-hyuk (Vitesse Arnhem) stated, "Medals or trophies are not important; I played only for one thing: exemption from military service." Additionally, Park Seung-su (Newcastle United) posted a photo on social media showing him wearing a discharge cap in the locker room.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original