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Olympic Soccer Results 2012: South Korea Win Big at 2012 London Olympics
Published: August 11, 2012
However, even better than the prize of an Olympic medal was the free pass that it gave the footballers from mandatory military service.
If they hadn't beaten their Asian counterparts, they would have been subject to the same rules that every other person in South Korea is—before the age of 29, you must complete 21 months of national military service.
Now, with a medal around their necks, they receive an exemption because they have benefited their country on a national stage.
Crazy, I know, but not for the South Korean football team, who recently admitted that the prize of exemption outweighed the prize of a maiden Olympic medal via The Washington Post.
Striker Park Chu-young commented that:
I'm very happy with the bronze medal and everybody here will now get a new chance by being exempted from military service.
That's what I'm really pleased about because that was our aim at the start of the tournament...
Similar sentiments were echoed by Kim Bok-yung, who said that no longer having to oblige to the national service requirements:
Makes me as happy as winning the bronze medal. This is one of the happiest moments of my life.
It is a big problem for Korean players, but now I have avoided it. I will have no problem staying in Europe...
As Bok-yung hints at, the national service requirements are a huge hurdle for South Korean athletes, but in particular, footballers, as they try to establish their careers throughout the European domestic competitions. With that weight off their backs now, you get the sense that these bronze medalists could now go on to achieve some big things for their respective clubs.
When the final whistle blew against Japan, i...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football
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