On October 3 Beijing time, South Korea's U23 men's football team won the Asian Games gold medal for the fourth consecutive time. Although captain Lee Kee-hyuk's post-match comments about avoiding military service drew criticism from South Korean media, for the player himself, this was a genuine career lifeline. Lee Kee-hyuk had only nine days left before he was due to enlist in the military. Now he will receive an exemption from military service and can continue his football career abroad.

According to South Korean media reports, Lee Kee-hyuk of Gangwon FC, the oldest captain among players born in 2000, remarkably achieved the "dream" of military exemption among the 20-man squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup in North and Central America. Lee Kee-hyuk was not initially considered national team material, but was unexpectedly selected for the World Cup squad and earned recognition as a key defensive starter.

At that time, U23 coach Lee Min-sung, considering substitute selections, decided during the World Cup to name Lee Kee-hyuk as a replacement player (maximum three eligible) and even appointed him captain. Although Lee Kee-hyuk suffered an unexpected foot injury and could not play every match, he returned to play in the final in the closing minutes, helping secure the team's victory.

Lee Kee-hyuk had originally planned to enlist before this major tournament, applying for the third round of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces sports specialist selection in 2026. Despite his national team experience, only four specialists were selected that round, and he was unfortunately eliminated in the final selection stage, causing turmoil in Korean football circles at the time. It later emerged that the military sports unit had entered his score incorrectly, leading to an unfair elimination and further chaos. Had the Asian Games not resulted in a gold medal, he would have had no choice but to enlist. It is expected that Lee Kee-hyuk will now officially pursue his long-awaited dream of playing abroad.

According to South Korean media reports, the first thing Lee Kee-hyuk said after winning the championship was "I don't have to enlist in the military."

After the medal ceremony, Lee Kee-hyuk was interviewed in the mixed zone. With a bright smile, he showed the gold medal hanging around his neck to the camera and shouted loudly, "I don't have to enlist in the military!" Considering he would have had to enlist in just nine days had he not won gold, this statement perfectly conveyed the desperation he felt during his preparation for this tournament.

When asked about the situation, Lee Kee-hyuk also shared a humorous anecdote with his teammates. He said, "For the players, this tournament was important because they would get military exemption, but for me, military enlistment was just around the corner, so I kept joking about it with them."

He added, "My teammates also worked incredibly hard, and they kept repeating jokingly, 'If Lee Kee-hyuk doesn't win gold today, he has to enlist in nine days.'" In reality, gold was the collective goal of the entire national team, but for Lee Kee-hyuk personally, winning this medal was directly tied to his imminent military enlistment.

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