Tom Kim Kim competes in the Asian Games in hopes of avoiding military service.
Under South Korean law, all able-bodied men must complete 18 to 21 months of mandatory military service before turning 28. That also means for professional athletes such as Tom Kim Kim, he intends to have a major break in his early years.
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However, the South Korean government grants special military exemptions to athletes who achieve a certain number of miles of high national status, namely winning any Olympic medal or gold medal in the Asian Games.
As a result, immediately after the Presidents’ Cup, Kim flew to Japan to compete in the Asian Games. Winning a Gold Medal in an event will give an individual or team a break, and it is important that this is achieved.
One of the South Korean shooters was not lucky enough to avoid conscription, and his career ended.
What derailed Bae Sang-lun’s campaign
When South Korean golfer Bae Sang-moon was forced to stop playing on the PGA Tour due to military service, there was a reflection that jump-started his professional career.
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In 2015, Bae was at the peak of his power. He has already won twice on the PGA Tour and is a rising star in the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking.
However, despite his best efforts to avoid military service, Bae was legally obliged to resign and enlist in the South Korean army for two years. This was the end of his PGA Tour career.
Bae’s time in the military has left him no time to work on his golf game, completely out of rhythm and feeling. When he was released and returned to the PGA Tour in late 2017, his world ranking had plummeted to 1,869th.
Bae admitted that he hadn’t forgotten how to swing the club, but had completely lost the sense of how to play competitive golf. He took care of a few things in his next return.
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He salvaged some of his former form, winning on the Korn Ferry Tour, but eventually Bae lost his PGA Tour card. This is a cautionary tale for players like Kim who hope to avoid the same fate.