[2026 Parliamentary Audit] Military Manpower Administration Chief: "Regrets Athletes' Conduct ... Takes It Seriously"

National Defense Committee's Parliamentary Audit

Hong Soyoung, commissioner of the Military Manpower Administration, said on the 12th that she was “deeply saddened and regretful, as commissioner,” by the inappropriate remarks and conduct of athletes competing in the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games regarding the military service exemption system.

Hong made the remarks in response to a related question from Kim Byungjoo of the Democratic Party of Korea during a parliamentary audit of the Military Manpower Administration held that day at its headquarters in the Government Complex Daejeon. She added, “As commissioner, I take seriously the sense of loss that young people currently fulfilling their military service must have felt, as well as the public’s calls for improvements to the system.”

Yonhap News

Asked whether the military service exemption system, including the arts and sports personnel program, needed to be revised, Hong replied, “My views are the same as those of the Ministry of National Defense.” The ministry had previously said it would gradually scale back the system and ultimately abolish it in the long term.

Commenting on all the members of BTS completing their military service, Hong said, “By having every single member fulfill their military service, BTS made a significant contribution to strengthening the fairness of military service and public trust.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.