Seoul:The defense ministry is considering revising or abolishing the military service exemption system for athletes and artists. This development comes amid controversy sparked by inappropriate remarks from South Korean gold medalists at the Asian Games regarding military exemptions.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the controversy began when some members of the national men's football team suggested their main objective during the tournament was to obtain a military exemption, rather than winning the gold medal. This has reignited a debate about the fairness of the exemption system.

Ministry spokesperson Chung Binna announced during a press briefing that plans are underway to potentially scale back or eliminate the supplementary service designed for artists and athletes. Factors such as fairness, the declining pool of individuals available for service, and public consensus will be considered in the decision-making process.

The South Korean national football team recently won the gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, defeating Japan with a 1-0 victory. As a result, 20 out of the 23 team members became eligible for the military exemption, which traditionally requires only basic training and community service instead of full military service.

Following the victory, player Yang Min-hyeok faced backlash for stating in an interview that his focus was on securing a military exemption. Another player, Park Seung-soo, shared a photo of himself wearing a military service completion cap, adding to the controversy.

Chung expressed regret over the comments made by figures in the sports industry and emphasized the ministry's hope that the public will respect the sacrifices made by the armed forces and that a culture valuing military service will be cultivated in society.