Vocal Pansori Recognized... Popular Singers Excluded
Military Service Special Cases: Appropriate 55.6%, Inappropriate 44.5%
As the Hangzhou Asian Games come to a close, attention is turning to the benefits that the Taeguk Warriors will receive from the government. While the nation cheered the continuous stream of gold medal news, public opinion on the 'military service benefits' granted to gold medalists is not entirely favorable.
According to the sports community on the 9th, most of the football and baseball representatives who won at the Hangzhou Asian Games will receive special military service exemptions. Among the 22 football team members, 20 were granted the exemption, and 19 baseball team members were named as beneficiaries.
Korean players who won the gold medal in the League of Legends (LoL) esports event at the 19th Hangzhou Asian Games stand on the podium at the esports center in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. From left to right: 'Chovy' Jeong Ji-hoon, 'Faker' Lee Sang-hyeok, 'Ruler' Park Jae-hyuk. [Photo by Yonhap News]
Moreover, the Korean national team for the officially adopted eSports League of Legends (LoL) event at this Asian Games also clinched the championship, with all six members, including Lee Sang-hyeok (Faker), receiving the military service exemption benefits.
The special military service exemption system was introduced in 1973 to transform Korea, which had little presence on the world stage, into a sports powerhouse. Qualified artists and athletes undergo basic military training and then return to society, where they work in their respective fields for 34 months and complete 544 hours of social contribution activities, after which their military service obligation is considered fulfilled.
According to the Military Manpower Administration and the Special Act on Military Service Exemptions, athletes who place within the top three at the Olympic Games or first place at the Asian Games qualify for the exemption in the sports field. In the arts field, benefits are granted to those who place within the top two at international art competitions, first place at domestic art competitions, or those who have completed training in important national intangible cultural heritage.
Opinions on these military service exemptions are divided. Some believe that rewards for contributions are natural, while others question how long benefits introduced during Korea’s developing country era should be maintained.
In particular, fairness controversies remain an ongoing issue. A representative argument is that artists active on the global stage, such as in film and music, should also be granted military service exemptions.
For example, according to a report released last year by the Korea Tourism Culture Institute, a research organization under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, a single BTS concert is estimated to have an economic ripple effect ranging from at least 619.7 billion KRW to as much as 1.2207 trillion KRW.
Consequently, some voices criticize, asking, "Why are popular singers overlooked while opera and pansori are left as is?"
Representative Seong Il-jong of the People Power Party and others have proposed amendments to the Military Service Act to allow popular culture artists to receive military service exemptions, but these bills remain stalled in the National Assembly due to sharply divided opinions surrounding the issue.
In 2019, the Ministry of National Defense conducted a survey of 2,000 adults aged 19 and older regarding alternative military service systems for artists and athletes but did not reach a definitive conclusion. According to the report, 55.6% responded that granting military service exemptions to athletes with special skills was appropriate, while 44.5% said it was inappropriate.
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