Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min secured an exemption from military service – along with his South Korea teammates – when they beat Japan to win gold in the Asian Games football tournament.
After a goalless 90 minutes, substitute Lee Seung-woo and Hwang Hee-chan scored in extra time to help South Korea retain their title with a 2-1 victory against Japan.
With Japan 2-0 down, Ayase Ueda reduced the margin with five minutes remaining, but they could not find the equaliser to take the match to penalties.
All able-bodied South Korean men must complete 21 months of service in the military as a deterrent against the North, but exemptions are offered to athletes who win gold at the Asian Games or a medal of any colour at the Olympics.
Son, who captained South Korea as one of the over-aged players in the otherwise under-23 competition, had a role in both goals.
Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial)
🇰🇷 Congratulations, Sonny – #AsianGames WINNER! 🥇 pic.twitter.com/NT63QmbtbT
Lee’s first goal came when he planted his drive into the top of the net from a Son lay-off. Hwang’s pinpoint header from Son’s corner eight minutes later doubled South Korea’s lead though Japan refused to give up.
Son was substituted seconds before the final whistle only to run back on the field in jubilation to celebrate the victory, which has huge ramifications for his career. He made one appearance from the bench for Spurs before linking up with South Korea’s Games squad earlier this month and was immediately congratulated by his club on Twitter after the final.