No Military Service For Tom Kim? How Asian Games Gold Earned South Korean Golfer An Exemption

South Korean golfer Tom Kim got what he came for by winning the men's singles on Saturday at the Asian Games: a gold medal and an exemption from military service back home.

He shot a 6-under 64 in Saturday's final round for a four-day total of 18-under 262. Three golfers were three back and faced a playoff with Kazuki Higa of Japan taking silver and Thailand's Sadom Kaewkanjana earning bronze.

Tom Kim made a special effort to win in Japan, flying across the Pacific when the Presidents Cup competition ended last weekend.

Asked about the exemption, he took the gold-medal approach.

“Despite that, I’m more proud that I’m able to bring a medal for my country,” he said.

He did acknowledge pressure - the flight, the expectations, the gold medal and more.

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“I tried not to think about it,” he said. “I just tried to play (the) best for my country. It's a big stepping stone. I think the pressure that I felt this week, I'll be able to implement it in my upcoming seasons."

Most able-bodied men in South Korea must serve about 18 months in uniform, but a medal of any color at the Olympics — or gold in the Asian Games — provides an out.

However, South Korea failed to win the team competition. That means that S.H. Kim, who played on the team with Tom Kim, did not get the exemption. He closed with a 73 and the third team member, 35-year-old Mun Do-yeob, shot 70. Mun had already served and did not need the exemption.

Kim Joo-hyung goes by Tom Kim when he plays on the PGA Tour, and Kim Seong-hyeon goes by S.H. Kim when he plays abroad.

China won the team event with silver for South Korea and bronze for Japan.

The military exemption in South Korea also applies to classical and traditional musicians, dancers and other artists who are viewed as enhancing national pride.

The Asian Games format was 72 holes of stroke play. The teams were made up of three players, but only the best two scores counted each day toward the team total.

Tom Kim dominated the 7,035-yard at the Kasugai Country Club. The last two days he carded eagles on the par-5 13th, a 520-yard hole that was very gettable on sunny days for the final rounds with little wind.

South Koreans at the games have taken advantage

Sixteen South Korea baseball players are also exempt after defeating Japan 3-1 in the Asian Games final earlier in the week. So are three South Koreans who won gold in esports, an event at the Asian Games. And then there are the members of the South Korean soccer team, which defeated Japan 1-0 on Saturday.

“Of course the result is important, and the fact that the players will be exempt from the military service is important,” said Lee Sang-hyeok, who is known as “Faker” in the world of esports.

Lee won gold three years ago at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, and this time helped teammates avoid the conscription.

Some at home question if the exemption — created more than 50 years ago — is fair. The South Korean news agency Yonhap a few days ago termed the system “outdated” and called for change.

The news agency said the baseball game victory over Japan “symbolically reflects the changed times and the public's expectations.”