(Asiad) 9 overseas-based footballers among 20 members to earn military exemption with gold medal

On October 3, South Korea's men's football team clinched the gold medal in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with a thrilling 1-0 victory over the host nation Japan at Toyota Stadium. Among the 20 players on the team who received military exemptions, nine of them play for clubs overseas. This exemption comes with significant financial benefits for the foreign-based players, as teams are more likely to offer them long-term contracts.

The team, coached by Lee Min-sung, did not feature top stars from previous Asian Games squads such as Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in. However, the squad boasted skilled players with potential to grow into key roles for the senior national team. Eom Ji-sung, who scored the lone goal in the 61st minute, is one such player who led South Korea with four goals and four assists.

Other players like Bae Jun-ho and Yang Hyun-jun, who play for Stoke City and Celtic FC respectively, will now have uninterrupted opportunities to advance their careers without the interruption of mandatory military service. The youngest South Korean to have played in a Premier League match, Kim Ji-soo, is another promising young talent who will benefit from the military exemption.

The senior men's national team appears to be at a crossroads as the veteran group led by Son and Lee Jae-sung, both 34, begin to retire, while the next generation, including Kim Min-jae, Hwang Hee-chan and Hwang In-beom, are in their early to mid-30s with their prime years slowly fading. A successful transition of leadership will hinge on the development of this current group of players in their early to mid-20s, who gained a significant advantage with South Korea's gold medal victory.