Calls growing to terminate 'unfair' military exemption

By Lee Min-hyung

A debate is intensifying over whether the Ministry of National Defense should continue providing an exemption from mandatory military service to medal winning athletes.

The controversy erupted a day after the closing of the Asian Games in Indonesia where 42 male athletes were exempted from military duty after winning gold medals.

Under the current legal system, those who win gold medals at the Asian Games and any medal at the Olympics do not have to serve in the military in recognition of their contribution in raising the national prestige at the global sporting events.

But this may no longer be continued as a growing number of people here call for the need to revise or abolish the system, citing its “unfairness.” They believe cultural artists should also enjoy the benefit if they helped raise the profile of the nation worldwide.

BTS, the seven-member boy band, has been cited as an example. The idol group recently topped the Billboard 200 chart for the second time, playing a key part in raising the awareness of K-pop overseas.

But BTS is not eligible for a military exemption, even if their influence on global society does not trail that of sports medalists.

On top of that, the controversy has escalated after the national baseball team for the Asian Games won the top spot by displaying a “relatively poor” performance against Japan and Taiwan. Specifically, the team came under fire after losing a match against Taiwan whose players consisted mostly of non-professional athletes.

Amid the sprawling controversy, the Military Manpower Administration (MMA) has expressed its will to revise the preferential treatment to make it fairer.

“The Ministry of National Defense is considering abolishing the policy, but nothing specific has been confirmed about a timeline,” the ministry said Tuesday.

The ministry is in a position that it needs to conduct a thorough review of the current system in collaboration with other ministries and relevant parties, such as the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

“Details over the revision or abolishment of the system will be confirmed after thorough discussions with these,” said the defense ministry.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon also hinted at a plan to introduce a fairer and more reasonable measure.

“We urge the MMA to come up with a more reasonable measure by reflecting the public's growing demands,” Lee said in a Cabinet meeting.

Discrimination against pop music?

The ongoing dispute is also raising a controversy that pop musicians ― such as BTS ― are discriminated against by the current conscription system.

They can never be exempt from military service, while classic and traditional musicians can enjoy the exemption enjoyed by the sports stars.

“The special military exemption system lacks fairness,” Rep. Ha Tae-kyung of the Bareunmirae Party said in a National Assembly meeting Tuesday. “Generally, those in the fine arts can enjoy the exemption, but this is not the case for pop artists.”

Pop and fusion artists cannot be free from military duty despite their contribution to raise the awareness of Korean music across the world, Ha said.

Rep. Ahn Min-seok of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea also underlined the need to take a careful approach before revising the system.

“The issue is very sensitive, so the MMA should take into account public opinion,” the lawmaker said in a local radio interview.

He suggested the introduction of ways for athletes to serve alternative military duty after they retire.

“For example, Son Heung-min, who won the gold medal by playing for the national football team during the Asian Games, can engage in an act of talent donation after he retires,” Ahn said.

This is good for the public and for himself, according to the lawmaker.

“The current system, introduced in 1973, should be revised in a reasonable and fair way to be in line with the times,” he said. It is high time the nation changed the system by continuously publicizing the issue, he said.