Chinanews.com, Beijing, December 5 (Reporter Wang Hao) If you want to ask what is interesting about the South Korean team’s participation in the World Cup, besides "the light of Asian football" and "Sun Xingmin's performance on the field", many fans will pay special attention to their service. The question of military service.

The South Korean team is about to face Brazil in the knockout round of the World Cup in Qatar. The battle is approaching, and many people are discussing this topic again.

The picture shows South Korean player Hwang In-beom (left) fighting for a header.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Tomita

　　Unlike the system of voluntary enlistment that everyone is more familiar with, for Korean men, serving in the army is an obligation.

They must serve before the age of 28, and some of them can be postponed until before the age of 30. The length of military service varies, most of which are about 2 years.

　　Also greatly affected by the compulsory military service system is the Korean entertainment industry.

Some popular stars became "unavailable" after serving in the military.

Just imagine, fans who affectionately shouted "Oba, I'll wait for you" before enlisting in the army have become fans of other Joong Ki, Jong Suk, and Min Ho after two years. This psychological gap should not be small.

　　For South Korean athletes, military service is equivalent to cutting off their careers.

For example, football players almost use the peak of their careers to serve in the military.

In order to solve this problem, South Korea has actually made some efforts in various aspects.

On December 2, Beijing time, in the third round of Group H of the Qatar World Cup group match, South Korea played against Portugal.

In the end, the Portuguese team was defeated by the South Korean team 1:2.

The South Korean team overwhelmed Uruguay with a goal difference advantage. The second group advanced to the round of 16, and the Portuguese team advanced to the first group.

The picture shows South Korean players (red) shooting.

　　In the K-League there is a team called Jinquan Shangmu. Players can play football while serving in the military in this team. Cao Guicheng, who shined in the World Cup in Qatar, once did this.

　　But this is obviously not suitable for players like Sun Xingmin who are playing overseas, so there is only one solution left for them: get good results in the competition and be exempted from military service.

　　It is definitely not advisable to go "wrong way", because the punishment is quite severe.

Last year, Shi Xianjun, an overseas player, was disqualified from his passport because he was suspected of evading military service. At the same time, the South Korean military manpower department ordered him to return to his country to serve.

For players who try to escape military service, the Koreans are of course ready to attack at any time.

On December 2, Beijing time, in the third round of Group H of the Qatar World Cup group match, the South Korean team defeated the Portuguese team 2:1.

Sun Xingmin sent an assist in stoppage time to help the South Korean team qualify from the group.

After the game, Sun Xingmin wept emotionally on the court.

　　Korean football players want to avoid military service through performance, there are three main competitions: the World Cup, the Olympics and the Asian Games.

In order to be able to be exempted from military service reasonably and legally, taking Sun Xingmin as an example, he can be said to have gone through twists and turns.

　　In the 2012 London Olympics, the South Korean team won the bronze medal in the men's football competition, but Sun Xingmin was absent from the game.

In the Incheon Asian Games two years later, the South Korean team won the gold medal. At that time, Sun Xingmin was called up by the national team, but the Leverkusen club he played for did not let him go. Sun Xingmin missed another opportunity to be exempted from military service.

　　Sun Xingmin's situation at this time can be described by the famous saying: There is not much time left for him!

　　In a blink of an eye, in 2018, Sun Xingmin gradually shined in the European League, but the more this happened, the greater the pressure to serve in the military.

The World Cup in Russia has become a good opportunity before him.

On June 29, local time, Seoul, South Korea, the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the South Korean men's football team returned to China for an interview.

Image source: Visual China

　　In the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, the South Korean team broke into the semi-finals at home, and finally the players were exempted from military service.

In the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, after the South Korean team qualified for the group stage, the Korean Football Association proposed to be exempted from military service, but it was only a proposal.

　　In the last match of the Russia World Cup group match, the South Korean team tried their best and finally defeated the defending champion Germany by 2 goals, but still missed the qualifying.

　　With such a result, there is naturally no way to be exempted from military service.

For Sun Xingmin, the Jakarta Asian Games held in the same year became an opportunity that must be seized.

　　The South Korean team's game in the Asian Games in Jakarta was dubbed "Operation to Save Private Sun Xingmin" by fans.

In the group stage, South Korea lost to Malaysia.

At that time, it is estimated that Sun Xingmin's fans were very upset.

"Asia's No. 1 brother" Sun Xingmin can only show people in the shape of a masked man during his World Cup trip to Qatar. Although it is a last resort, many Korean fans have followed suit. Can Obama's charm be blocked by a mask?

　　Fortunately, entering the knockout round, the South Korean team still showed great strength and advanced all the way to the final.

In the final, South Korea and Japan, the old opponents, played inextricably. They scored a goalless goal in regular time, and the overtime match that decided the fate of Sun Xingmin began.

　　Fortunately, in overtime, the South Korean team performed better. In the end, they defeated their opponents 2:1 and won the championship. The whole team was exempted from military service.

I don't know if the 30 minutes of overtime is the most difficult 30 minutes of his career for Sun Ge?

　　In the Qatar World Cup South Korean team squad, many players have been exempted from military service, but there are also a group of athletes, including Li Gangren, who still need to "save the soldiers."

Therefore, after the Korean team qualified for the group stage, some fans rediscussed this topic.

　　However, the current results of the South Korean team are only to break into the top 16. If they want to pass the World Cup to be exempted from military service, they still have to pass Brazil.

(Finish)