Tom Kim won the Asian Games men’s singles gold medal Saturday, Oct. 3, earning an exemption from South Korea’s military service system. Most able-bodied men in the country must serve about 18 months in uniform, but an Asian Games gold medal puts an athlete on a different track. “Despite that, I’m more proud that I’m able to bring a medal for my country,” Kim said when asked about the exemption.
Kim shot a 6-under 64 in the final round, finishing with a four-day total of 18-under 262. The medal capped a week when he said he felt pressure from his flight across the Pacific, expectations and the prospect of winning gold. “I tried not to think about it,” he said. “I just tried to play (the) best for my country.”
A medal, an exemption
The military-service exemption applies to Asian Games gold medalists and Olympic medalists of any color. Classical and traditional musicians, dancers and other artists regarded as enhancing national pride also qualify. The system ties relief from compulsory service to achievements designated as valuable to the nation. For most able-bodied men, the obligation remains about 18 months in uniform.
Kim flew across the Pacific after the Presidents Cup competition ended the previous weekend to compete in Japan. He called the result a “big stepping stone” and said he could use the pressure he felt this week in his upcoming seasons. His words joined personal ambition to national representation: he said he played for his country, and the gold medal also secured his military exemption.
Three golfers finished three strokes behind Kim and entered a playoff. Japan’s Kazuki Higa took silver; Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana won bronze. The tournament used 72 holes of stroke play on the 7,035-yard course at Kasugai Country Club. In each of the final two days, Kim made an eagle on the par-5 13th, a 520-yard hole reachable on sunny days with little wind.
The team result, and its limits
South Korea failed to win the golf team competition, so S.H. Kim, who played on the team with Tom Kim, didn’t receive an exemption. S.H. Kim closed with a 73, while third team member Mun Do-yeob, 35, shot 70. Mun had already completed military service. Kim Seong-hyeon uses the name S.H. Kim when playing abroad.
China won the team event, with South Korea taking silver and Japan bronze. Each team had three players, but only its best two scores counted each day toward the team total. A national team medal alone didn’t provide an exemption in this competition; the stated rule distinguishes the golf team result from an individual gold.
Sixteen South Korean baseball players also earned exemptions after South Korea beat Japan 3-1 in the Asian Games final earlier in the week. Three South Koreans who won gold in esports also qualified. Lee Sang-hyeok, known as “Faker” in esports, said: “Of course the result is important, and the fact that the players will be exempt from the military service is important.” Lee won gold at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, three years earlier, and helped teammates avoid conscription this time.
South Korean news agency Yonhap called the exemption system “outdated” and called for change. It said the baseball victory over Japan “symbolically reflects the changed times and the public’s expectations.” The report describes medal-based exceptions and a call for change; it doesn’t describe a grassroots campaign, mutual-aid effort or direct action around military service.