Tottenham player apologises after celebrating huge Asian Games trophy win | OneFootball

Yang Min-hyeok, and his South Korea team-mates won the Asian Games over the weekend - and with it military exemption

Tottenham winger Yang Min-hyeok has been forced to apologise after appearing to celebrate earning exemption from military service following South Korea’s Asian Games victory over the weekend.

South Korea won a fourth consecutive Asian Games gold on Saturday after beating hosts Japan 1-0, with Yang providing the assist for Eom Jisung's winning goal.

Able-bodied men in South Korea must serve between 18-21 months of military service before the age of 28. However, government exemptions are granted to gold medalists at the Asian Games and all Olympic medalists.

Instead, they must complete several weeks of basic training and a number of hours of community service.

Former Spurs forward Son Heung-min earned exemption after he guided South Korea to Asian Games gold in 2018, and Yang, who is on loan at Belgian side Westerlo, appeared to suggest that the “real reward” for winning gold was military exemption.

Speaking after South Korea’s victory over Japan, Yang is reported to have said, in quotes from The Korea Times, that the main motivation for him and his team-mates was to avoid military service.

“We were being compensated, and the compensation was military exemption, so it feels like we played with that one thing in mind. Honestly, whether it was a trophy or a medal wasn't important,” Yang said.

Yang’s comments, which were echoed by captain Lee Gi-hyuk and defender Park Seung-soo, drew criticism, and the 20-year-old took to social media to apologise with a lengthy statement.

Lee and Park have also apologised for their respective comments.

"Hello, this is Yang Min-hyeok. I am sincerely sorry for causing disappointment and discomfort to so many people with my remarks regarding the Asian Games," Yang wrote. "Participating in the Asian Games as a representative of South Korea held great significance for me, and as an athlete, I naturally gave my all with the goal of winning the championship and the gold medal.

"However, I failed to properly convey that the military service exemption was merely one of several motivators—alongside the desire to achieve great results—that drove me forward. Regardless of my original intent, it is clearly my fault that my words caused discomfort and made it appear as though I took the significance of the gold medal lightly as a national team athlete.

"I recognise that the gold medal was not something simply guaranteed; it was an achievement made possible only through the hard work and support of many people. Furthermore, I never intended to belittle or mock the efforts of those currently fulfilling their military service obligations or those who will do so in the future.

"I sincerely apologise to everyone who was hurt or disappointed by my thoughtless remarks. Moving forward, I will strive to make amends not only through my words but by demonstrating a better attitude and a greater sense of responsibility on the field. My sincere apologies."