S. Korea's Asian Games captain apologizes for military service remarks as foreign media take notice

Remarks by Lee Gi-hyeok (26), captain of South Korea's men's football team and a Gangwon FC player, declaring "I'm not going to the military" after the team's gold medal win at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games — and his subsequent apology — have drawn coverage from international outlets including the BBC.

On Tuesday (local time), the BBC ran a story headlined "Captain who boasted about military exemption apologizes," reporting that Lee had bragged about avoiding mandatory military service thanks to the gold medal before issuing an apology. The BBC highlighted the portion of Lee's apology in which he expressed regret toward fans currently serving in the military. Lee, who joined the under-23 squad as a wildcard player, was a particular focus of the coverage.

The remarks came immediately after the final against Japan on Saturday. Lee said that had the team failed to win gold, he would have had just nine days left before his enlistment date. Holding up his medal, he declared, "I'm not going to the military." Yang Min-hyeok (20), who plays for Beerschot, suggested that the military service benefit had mattered more to him than the medal or the trophy, while Park Seung-su (19), of Newcastle United, posted a photo on Instagram wearing a military discharge cap given to him by a fan.

The Daily Telegraph had reported two days earlier, on Sunday, that Lee was facing fierce backlash from fans and politicians. The paper also reported that People Power Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo had called for a review of the military service exemption granted to medal winners.

Earlier, on Sunday, Lee acknowledged that his remarks and actions — driven by "the happiness, dopamine and excitement of the moment" and focused on the military service benefit he had received — had hurt those fulfilling their duty to serve and the fans who supported the team. He added that he "should have thought before speaking, as an adult," and said he would continue to reflect on having spoken so carelessly.

Upon returning to Incheon International Airport the same day, Lee told reporters that as captain and representative of the squad, he "should have weighed every word" before speaking. "I think my initial remarks led the younger players to act the way they did," he said. He added that he wanted to sincerely apologize to everyone currently serving in the military.

Yang and Park also issued apologies. Yang explained that his comments had been misunderstood, saying the military service benefit was "just one of several motivations" he had for pursuing a better result. Park said he had put on the cap without thinking and posted the photo, stressing that he "never intended to mock those fulfilling their military duty or to take their efforts lightly."

The team, led by head coach Lee Min-seong, defeated Japan 1-0 in the final held Saturday at Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, with Eom Ji-seong scoring the decisive goal in the 61st minute to secure the country's first four consecutive Asian Games gold medals in men's football.