Seoul (AFP) – For South Korea's gold medal-winning footballers, victory at the Asian Games came with a reward beyond sporting glory: exemption from mandatory military service.

But the way some players celebrated that benefit has sparked a public backlash, prompting Seoul to reconsider a decades-old system originally designed to reward athletes for bringing prestige to the nation.

The controversy erupted after Asian Games football captain Lee Gi-hyuk proclaimed with a smile "I'm not going to the military" after beating hosts Japan in the men's final this month.

He said he would have had to report for duty just nine days later had his team lost, interrupting a lucrative career at its peak.

A video of Newcastle United's 19-year-old Park Seung-soo wearing a military discharge cap tilted to one side and giving a smiling salute further fuelled the outcry.

Both players later apologised.

Their actions contrasted with the cautious approach traditionally taken by South Korean athletes towards exemptions, long a sensitive subject in a country where most young men are required to serve.

Former Tottenham captain Son Heung-min, who earned his exemption after leading South Korea to gold at the 2018 Asian Games, was famously measured.

Asked about the exemption, Son said: "Rather than thinking about that, we came here to win this tournament."

South Korea requires most able-bodied men to perform between 18 and 21 months of military service, as it faces off against nuclear-armed North Korea, with which the country technically remains at war.

But under a system introduced in 1973, athletes who win an Olympic medal of any colour or an Asian Games gold are eligible for an exemption for "enhancing national prestige and promoting culture".

Artists who win prizes at designated competitions can also get an exemption.

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