SEOUL– It can be a huge carrot but can also be a source of distraction.
South Korean male athletes who win an Olympic medal of any color or an Asian Games gold medal receive exemptions from the mandatory military service. Earning that privilege has created moments of unadulterated joy, while just missing out on that opportunity has made grown men cry.
After naming his 18-man football squad for this summer’s Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday, South Korea head coach Kim Hak-bum urged his players not to get caught up in the prospect of earning military exemption.
“It’d be silly to say it’s not important (for these athletes), but you can’t be too occupied with that thought,” Kim said. “Players won’t admit to it, but when they keep thinking about getting their military exemptions, then they won’t be able to play so well. We have to think first about putting on good performances, and then military exemptions will naturally follow.”
Kim understands the situation as well as any, having coached South Korea to the gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia. South Korea needed extra time to beat Japan for the gold, and during that title run, Kim realized how having the military exemption within grasp can be a burden on some players.
Being exempt from serving in the armed forces can mean different things for different players, depending on their status or stages of their careers. If a player is putting together a fine career with a European club, for instance, then spending 18 months in the military in the middle of his prime can be a devastating blow to his earning potential. However, for someone playing in the domestic league without particular desire or otherworldly talent to play overseas, spending time with the second-division military club, Gimcheon Sangmu, may not be such a bad career move.
One particular player has a lot riding at the Olympics, as far as his military situation is concerned. Kim selected Suwon Samsung Bluewings midfielder Kwon Chang-hoon as one of his overage players on the under-24 Olympic team. Two other over-24 players, forward Hwang Ui-jo and defender Kim Min-jae, earned their free passes at the 2018 Asian Games. Kwon, who plans to join Gimcheon Sangmu next season after a stint in Europe, stands to benefit the most from the military exemption this summer.
Apparently not wanting to deal with such headaches, Kim insisted he chose players based on their abilities and fit within the team structure, with no regard for their military situation.
“I considered our opponents and how competitive our players can be against them,” Kim said. “I also kept an eye on who can best handle hot and humid conditions in Tokyo. I didn’t consider the military situation at all. I chose overage players in positions that I felt needed the most help.”
Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min was also considered for the team as an over-24 player, and Kim had previously said Son had expressed his desire to represent the country once again. But since the Olympic tournament is outside FIFA’s jurisdiction and clubs aren’t obliged to make their players available, Son couldn’t join the mix this time.
Kim stuck to the same tune in refusing to comment on individual players, saying it wouldn’t be fair to those who didn’t make the team. But when asked about Lee Kang-in, the youngest member of the team at 20, Kim sang his praises for the midfielder.
“As you all know, he’s a talented player, someone who can lead the way for South Korean football in the future,” Kim said. “That’s why I picked him.”
Kim will open his final pre-Olympic camp on Friday at the National Football Center in Paju, north of Seoul. In earlier camps, Kim ran hard conditioning drills to get his players ready to compete in high summer heat in Japan. The focus will now shift to other areas, Kim said.
“We’ll start working on building cohesion and scoring on set pieces,” Kim said. “More than 30 percent of the goals are scored in those situations, and that was part of my consideration in putting the team together. We’ll also focus on strengthening our defense, because it’s such an important element in tournaments like the Olympics.”
South Korea will be in Group B at the Tokyo Games. They will play New Zealand on July 22, Romania on July 25 and Honduras on July 28. The top two teams from each of the four groups will advance to the quarterfinals.
In preparation for the Olympics, South Korea will play two tuneup matches at home in July: on July 13 against a team to be determined and on July 16 against France at Seoul World Cup Stadium. Kim’s squad will then fly to Japan on July 17.
Kim said he hasn’t delivered any specific pep talk of trying to win a medal — the bronze from 2012 London Olympics is South Korea’s best performance so far — or doing the country proud. He just wants to unleash his youngsters on the field.
“I believe in these players. I want to see how high they can go,” Kim said. “I’ve told them, ‘Let’s go do something crazy. You’re all ready to do that.’ I want to see it happen.”
Source: Yonhap News Agency