Draft exemptions for sportsmen to be reduced

By Kim Jae-won

The Military Manpower Administration (MMA) said Monday that it will tighten regulations on military service exemptions for sportsmen and artists to better guarantee equality and fairness.

It plans to adopt a score-based system to waive military service for sportsmen and artists who contribute to boosting the nation’s image on the world stage.

Currently, sportsmen are exempt from serving military duties if they win any medal in the Olympic Games or a gold medal in the Asian Games. Artists, such as classical music performers, dancers and actors, can also enjoy the same privilege when they reach the top or achieve second place at an international competition, or win a local one.

“It is unfair that sportsmen and artists are waived from their duties with just a one-time win. We will introduce a score-based evaluation system to make the process fairer,” stated the agency in its report to the National Assembly.

Under the new system, the agency will give scores to athletes and artists based on their performance in competitions, and those who will earn certain scores will be exempt from military service.

The agency also seeks to make those who are relieved from serving in the military donate their talents to the underprivileged, such as teenagers from low-income families.

Korea’s military duty exemption rules have often been a hot issue over its equality and fairness compared to ordinary Korean men who are obliged to serve either 21 months in the army, 23 months in the navy, or 24 months in the air force.

The list of athletes who were waived from their duties includes Los Angeles Dodgers starter Ryu Hyun-jin and Cincinnati Reds outfielder Choo Shin-soo who participated in the 2008 Beijing Olympics during which the Korean national team won the baseball competition.

Spanish professional football league La Liga club Celta Vigo forward Park Chu-young was exempted from military duty last year when the Korean team grabbed bronze medals at the London Olympics.

English Premier League team Queens Park Rangers midfielder Park Ji-sung was waived from mandatory duties because of his contribution to the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup in which Korea reached the semifinals. The government exceptionally waived national team players at the time though the football event was not in the regulation.

The MMA said it will host a hearing on the issue in May or June, and will revise the bill between July and October, with the aim of having it passed at the National Assembly in December next year.