Player Watch Player Watch: Son Heung-min

[Lilbaz]

Stop worrying about his military service. There are ways and means to this.

He might want to do it. The south koreans take a dim view of anyone who gets out of it unless the government gives them leave like the football team.

As said though most reliable sources state 21-24 months (depending on army, airforce or navy) before the age of 35.

 

[tony0379]

Stop worrying about his military service. There are ways and means to this.

Whilst you’re here buddy, please go and shake their heads in the Bale thread please

 

[matthew.absurdum]

He might want to do it. The south koreans take a dim view of anyone who gets out of it unless the government gives them leave like the football team.

As said though most reliable sources state 21-24 months (depending on army, airforce or navy) before the age of 35.

Put it in a different way. It would become a big trouble for him if he didn't do the service (except winning medals). Korean values the duty of military service highly. If you try to intentionally avoid with tricks, you would get a bad fame and get general criticism in the country. Park Chu-Yong (former arsenal) seems to be such an example - not generally liked by his countrymen because he wanted to avoid it by obtaining nationality of other countries (ironically, he won a medal in the Olympics later).

Oh, and Ki sung-yung from Swansea did won a medal in the Olympics. But he still needed (and really wanted) to attend a military "experience" camp for a month in summer. I think Ki did say that it is a honour to serve the country and attend the camp. You see how Korean values the military service. I don't want to see Son falling from a Korean God to a Korean Villain.

There is only two ways that Son can do:
1. To try to win a gold medal in the Asian game (this summer) or any medals in the Olympics. It would be so hard for Korea to reach the semi-final in world cup

2. To delay the service. I think normally it can extended to 30 years old. But the limit of age is 35.

 

[Lilbaz]

Put it in a different way. It would become a big trouble for him if he didn't do the service (except winning medals). Korean values the duty of military service highly. If you try to intentionally avoid with tricks, you would get a bad fame in the country. Park Chu-Yong (former arsenal) seems to be such an example - not generally liked by his countrymen because he wanted to avoid it by obtaining nationality of other countries (ironically, he won a medal in the Olympics later).

There is only two ways that Son can do:
1. To try to win a gold medal in the Asian game (this summer) or any medals in the Olympics. It would be so hard for Korea to reach the semi-final

2. To delay the service. I think normally it can extended to 30 years old. But the limit of age is 35.

Why would they need to delay if the limit is 35. Surely that means he starts at 33? If he wants?

 

[matthew.absurdum]

Why would they need to delay if the limit is 35. Surely that means he starts at 33? If he wants?

I guess you are right (but I cannot verify it). Let say, if you have an accident/broken-leg injury when you are 33 years old, then you need a 2 years recovery period. Then you are not required to do the service after the recovery.

The norm in Korea seems to be that the country would urge (or require, I am not sure about it) their citizen to do the service before 26. It seems to be not an easy task to delay the service until 33 (A lot of Korean footballer attend the service when they reach 26).

To be honest, Son might already pass his peak level when he was 33 years old. But as a spurs fan, the best thing that we hope is that he can win the Asian game this summer.

 

[Lilbaz]

I guess you are right (but I cannot verify it). Let say, if you have an accident/broken-leg injury when you are 33 years old, then you need a 2 years recovery period. Then you are not required to do the service after the recovery.

The norm in Korea seems to be that the country would urge (or require, I am not sure about it) their citizen to do the service before 26. It seems to be not an easy task to delay the service until 33 (A lot of Korean footballer attend the service when they reach 26).

To be honest, Son might already pass his peak level when he was 33 years old. But as a spurs fan, the best thing that we hope is that he can win the Asian game this summer.

That's if we release him. We don't have to as it's not a fifa event.
Best we can hope is that korea offer us a deal. We let him go and they delay the service till 33. Then we hope he either wins this summers u23 event or next years asian cup (he's got a bronze and silver, gold is possible).
Although by 33 we'd probably be getting rid anyway.

 

[matthew.absurdum]

That's if we release him. We don't have to as it's not a fifa event.
Best we can hope is that korea offer us a deal. We let him go and they delay the service till 33. Then we hope he either wins this summers u23 event or next years asian cup (he's got a bronze and silver, gold is possible).
Although by 33 we'd probably be getting rid anyway.

We do not have to release Son to the Asian game, but I guess we must release him because of what we already know. (Ironically, B04 did not allow Son to attend the last asian game while Korean team won the gold medal) As I far as I know, you cannot get the exemption if you win the asian cup. This is because the law. The 2002 world cup case is a bit special, because the exemption is not from the law requirement, but from the president order (cc. Trump). This is a very special case as Korea plays too well in that world cup. In principle and law, World Cup and Asian cup does not count.

By the way, I think there is an advantage for Son to play in the Asian game. It is a U-23 game, and unlike the Olympics, other teams have no reasons to call up high calibre over age players to play in the asian game (end of august). They seem to call up players from their native leagues. I don't expect to see Japan U-23 to call up Kagawa, as they have no big motivation for the team and the players.

By the way, Korean league has two teams － Sangju Sangmu FC （military）and Asan Mugunghwa FC (Police). The players of these two teams are all professional footballers who are attending the service. Usually, the parent clubs would loan these players to these two clubs. Sangju Sangmu is playing the top tier in the Korean league, but of course they are no way near the best team in the league. Also, you can expect they cannot play the Asian champion league with all loaned players.

 

[mr_spurs961]

"The norm in Korea seems to be that the country would urge (or require, I am not sure about it) their citizen to do the service before 26. It seems to be not an easy task to delay the service until 33 (A lot of Korean footballer attend the service when they reach 26)."

It may well be that guys that are too old just can't pass the notoriously difficult basic training! A fully football-fit 26 yo might be able to compete with 18-19 yos, based on the previous experiences you cite, but a 30yo+ ?

 

[Makkaveli101]

This military service stuff is worrying. Feel sorry for the bloke. All because of a dick-measuring contest between South and North Korean leaders that has gone on since the 1950's.

 

[rocklink]

What if he didn't win any medal ?

 

[Hakkz]

Extreme tunnel vision for the third goal. Hope he gets a slap on the wrist from Poch. He had several chances to pass the ball.

 

[thebenjamin]

Extreme tunnel vision for the third goal. Hope he gets a slap on the wrist from Poch. He had several chances to pass the ball.

That is his major weakness, he often shoots when a simple pass would give a tap in to another player - there was a hideous one against man utd when he shot from a ridiculous angle instead of passing to Kane. Hopefully the raking he got from his team mates will encourage him to put the team first.

 

[jurgen]

This military service stuff is worrying. Feel sorry for the bloke. All because of a dick-measuring contest between South and North Korean leaders that has gone on since the 1950's.

Play with Spurs until 33, fly a fighter jet for 2 years, settle down with a Kpop star. Nice one Sonny.

 

[cider spurs]

London Evening Standard

Tottenham star Heung-min Son determined to play at Asian Games, says South Korea coach

Heung-min Son is keen to play at the Asian Games later this year, South Korea's under-23 coach Kim Hak-bum has said, with a gold medal at the event bringing an exemption from almost two years of mandatory military service.
Son has been in terrific form for Tottenham this season, scoring 18 goals in all competitions, but the 25-year-old could soon see his career interrupted.

All able-bodied South Korean males must serve 21 months in the military and Korean law states that the period of service must begin before the age of 27.

However, exemptions are awarded to athletes who win a gold medal at the Asian Games, or an Olympic medal of any colour, and South Korea will be one of the favourites for the football title at the August Games in Indonesia.


"Son has a strong will to compete at the Asian Games," Yonhap news quoted Kim as saying on his return from Europe on Tuesday. "But first, there's the World Cup. I told Son to play well in Russia before we meet at the Asian Games."

Kim said he had met with Son in Britain as part of his trip to look at candidates for Asian Games selection.

Son, who could be selected as one of three overage wild card, was refused permission by his former club team Bayer Leverkusen to play in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon when the South beat North Korea in the gold medal match.

Since the Asian Games soccer tournament is not on the official Fifa calendar, clubs are under no obligation to release players but reports in Britain say Spurs are weighing up the possibility of giving Son the chance to earn an exemption.

The 2018/19 Premier League season is scheduled to kick off on August 11 with the final of the Asian Games football tournament taking place on September 1.
"It's a sensitive issue," Kim said. "I believe the Korea Football Association will handle this matter well. The men's senior national team, the U-23 team, the KFA and the player's club should all work closely."

 

[mark87]

London Evening Standard

Tottenham star Heung-min Son determined to play at Asian Games, says South Korea coach

Heung-min Son is keen to play at the Asian Games later this year, South Korea's under-23 coach Kim Hak-bum has said, with a gold medal at the event bringing an exemption from almost two years of mandatory military service.
Son has been in terrific form for Tottenham this season, scoring 18 goals in all competitions, but the 25-year-old could soon see his career interrupted.

All able-bodied South Korean males must serve 21 months in the military and Korean law states that the period of service must begin before the age of 27.

However, exemptions are awarded to athletes who win a gold medal at the Asian Games, or an Olympic medal of any colour, and South Korea will be one of the favourites for the football title at the August Games in Indonesia.


"Son has a strong will to compete at the Asian Games," Yonhap news quoted Kim as saying on his return from Europe on Tuesday. "But first, there's the World Cup. I told Son to play well in Russia before we meet at the Asian Games."

Kim said he had met with Son in Britain as part of his trip to look at candidates for Asian Games selection.

Son, who could be selected as one of three overage wild card, was refused permission by his former club team Bayer Leverkusen to play in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon when the South beat North Korea in the gold medal match.

Since the Asian Games soccer tournament is not on the official Fifa calendar, clubs are under no obligation to release players but reports in Britain say Spurs are weighing up the possibility of giving Son the chance to earn an exemption.

The 2018/19 Premier League season is scheduled to kick off on August 11 with the final of the Asian Games football tournament taking place on September 1.
"It's a sensitive issue," Kim said. "I believe the Korea Football Association will handle this matter well. The men's senior national team, the U-23 team, the KFA and the player's club should all work closely."

We won't be seeing him until after the international break then, hopefully we'll be in a squad depth position to cope.

 

[Hengy1]

Aren’t South Korea about to announce the end of the war with the north? Surely if that happens they don’t need him to serve

 

[C0YS]

Why would they need to delay if the limit is 35. Surely that means he starts at 33? If he wants?

Put it in a different way. It would become a big trouble for him if he didn't do the service (except winning medals). Korean values the duty of military service highly. If you try to intentionally avoid with tricks, you would get a bad fame and get general criticism in the country. Park Chu-Yong (former arsenal) seems to be such an example - not generally liked by his countrymen because he wanted to avoid it by obtaining nationality of other countries (ironically, he won a medal in the Olympics later).

Oh, and Ki sung-yung from Swansea did won a medal in the Olympics. But he still needed (and really wanted) to attend a military "experience" camp for a month in summer. I think Ki did say that it is a honour to serve the country and attend the camp. You see how Korean values the military service. I don't want to see Son falling from a Korean God to a Korean Villain.

There is only two ways that Son can do:
1. To try to win a gold medal in the Asian game (this summer) or any medals in the Olympics. It would be so hard for Korea to reach the semi-final in world cup

2. To delay the service. I think normally it can extended to 30 years old. But the limit of age is 35.

Its a bit more complex, the real limit is thirty so you have to start the service when your twenty-eight. 35 is like the time you have to do it before, allowing hiccups or technicalities, and also giving draft dodgers another chance before it seriously gets bad for them.

Park Chu-Young tried to delay being drafted, this killed his reputation in South Korea, from being the poster boy to becoming unpatriotic. Ultimately, baring in minds Son's popularity, he would be better off doing it than avoiding it. I'd be very surprised if he tries to delay it.

Its better for him to just do it, if he does it he will play football for the military team, who are in the top division of south Korea then he come back to Tottenham and see what we can get out of him. It would suck but it would save him a lot of trouble.

 

[Hengy1]

 

[Lilbaz]

Some achievement he's only played there a few times this season.

 

[AnotherSpursFan]

Need to learn how to square the ball, we already have Kane who shoots from every angle, do not need another greedy glory hunter. Put the team first and make ur teammate effort to run into space worthwhile.
Has been too greedy recently