Kim Ju-hyung takes Asian Games lead as foreign media spotlight military service exemption

Kim Ju-hyung has taken the individual lead in men's golf at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after the third round.

Playing Friday at Kasugai Country Club's East Course (par 70) in Kasugai, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, Kim fired a 5-under-par 65 to reach a 12-under-par total of 198, moving one stroke ahead of joint second-place holders Higa Kazuki of Japan and Wang Wei-hsuan of Taiwan. Kim carded one eagle, five birdies and two bogeys on moving day to post the day's best score.

Kim has shot 67-66-65 across the first three rounds, displaying remarkable focus throughout. The performance is all the more striking given that he flew to Japan directly after going 4-0 at last week's 2026 Presidents Cup in Medinah, near Chicago, overcoming long-distance travel fatigue and jet lag to maintain his sharpness.

Kim's form has also lifted South Korea to the top of the team standings. With Kim contributing a 5-under-par round and Moon Do-yeop and Kim Sung-hyun each adding 1-under, the team reached a combined 20-under par, edging host Japan by one stroke. The team competition counts the top two scores among each country's three players.

Foreign media attention on Kim has been just as intense as it was during last week's Presidents Cup. Major US outlets including the AP, Golfweek and Golf Digest have focused on how Kim joined the Asian Games immediately after the Presidents Cup concluded in the United States and is competing at a high level with virtually no rest.

The key phrase foreign media keep returning to is "military service exemption." Under South Korean law, athletes who win an Olympic medal or an Asian Games gold medal are enrolled as arts and sports personnel, allowing them to fulfill their military obligation through alternative service.

The AP said that for a global star with four PGA Tour victories, a career interruption of 18 months or more for mandatory military service could be devastating, and that Kim flew to Japan carrying heavier pressure than at any other tournament in order to protect the momentum of his career.

Golfweek reported that Kim fell four strokes short of the bronze medal — the threshold for a military exemption — at the Paris Olympics, and said Bae Sang-moon and Noh Seung-yul are examples of Korean players who never fully recovered their form after completing military service.

Other US outlets cited the cases of Im Sung-jae and Kim Si-woo, who secured their exemptions through a team gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games, and said Kim is channeling every ounce of his ability into not letting this opportunity slip away.

The margin is just one stroke, but Kim's game has grown sharper with each passing round. Even under accumulated fatigue, the precise iron play and competitive instincts he has shown at crucial moments on the back nine reflect the pedigree of a PGA Tour champion. Having pushed through jet lag and the weight of expectation, Kim will go for a sweep of the individual and team titles in Saturday's final round.