As controversy grows over the military service exemption system for athletes following the Asian Games, Jin Jong-oh, an Olympic shooting gold medalist and lawmaker of the ruling People Power Party, argued that if male athletes are granted military benefits, discussions should also include compensation for female medalists.
Jin posted on his social media today (October 7), stating, "The value of a gold medal is no different for men and women, and the weight of the Taegeuk mark is the same. If there are military service benefits for male athletes, we must also seriously consider compensation measures commensurate with the achievements accomplished representing the country for female athletes, who are not subject to mandatory military service."
Recently, public opinion calling for an overhaul of the military service exemption system for athletes has been growing, triggered by the words and actions of some players on the men's national football team who won gold medals at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Jin pointed out, "The inappropriate remarks and performances of some national football team players were wrong. If you are a national team member, you should know the weight of the Taegeuk mark, and if you did wrong, you should properly apologize."
However, he emphasized that the players' actions and the value of a gold medal should be distinguished.
"Let us receive apologies for things that require an apology and applaud things that deserve applause," Jin said, adding, "The individual mistakes of the players and the value of a gold medal are separate."
He went on to say, "Let us point out the wrongdoing, but not diminish the achievement," and added, "The controversy over military exemption must not take precedence over the sweat and effort of the athletes."
Regarding the military exemption system itself, he stated that public discussion can determine whether to maintain or change it, proposing that this controversy be used as an opportunity to expand the discussion to include compensation systems for both male and female athletes.
Jin was a prominent figure in South Korean shooting during his athletic career, winning four gold medals and two silver medals at the Olympics, five gold medals at the World Championships, and three gold medals at the Asian Games.
Regarding his own military service, he served as a conscripted policeman from 2001 to 2004, before winning his first Olympic medal.
(Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Kim Kihyun | Graphics by Lee Jeong-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News)
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