The mandatory military service law in South Korea applies to all males under the age of 27 in the country, and esports players are no exception. A prime example is Khan. The player born in 1995 will officially begin his military service in mid-2022, as this is the deadline for postponing his service, with Khan turning 27 the following year.
However, there are cases where the South Korean government grants exemptions from military service, specifically for individuals who bring glory to the country or who have made significant contributions to society, with the most notable example being football player Son Heung-min. He was exempted from military service and instead only had to undergo a short military training course, as he helped the South Korean men’s football team win a Gold Medal at the 2018 ASIAN Games.
It can be understood that in the field of sports, the South Korean government allows athletes to be exempt from military service if they win championships at the continental level, a Gold Medal at the ASIAN Games, or any medal at the Olympics (Bronze, Silver, Gold).
With esports officially included in the medal contention category at the 2022 ASIAN Games in Hangzhou, South Korean esports players will also be presented with the opportunity to be exempt from military service if they win a Gold Medal in their respective events.
According to ESPN’s esports writer – FionnOnFire, League of Legends is expected to be the most promising event for the South Korean esports delegation at next year’s Asian Games, and of course, South Korean LoL stars will be exempt from military service if they win a Gold Medal in Hangzhou in 2022.
In fact, this situation is not too different from the 2018 ASIAN Games in Indonesia, when South Korean LoL players were also “considered for military exemption” if they won the championship. However, in the end, they lost to the Chinese team in the finals and only secured a Silver Medal.
Back then, esports was only a demonstration event, so the military exemption was only “considered”. According to FionnOnFire, since esports has become an official medal event, the military exemption will certainly be applied.
And right after this information was revealed, the community immediately mentioned Faker’s name. His contract with T1 includes an option to extend until 2023 – which is also the final deadline for Faker to postpone military service. Although not explicitly stated, everyone understands that Faker still wants to compete professionally for longer. Therefore, having the opportunity for exemption by leading the Korean team to win a Gold Medal at the 2022 ASIAN Games is likely to be one of the top goals for the Demon King.
However, at this moment, there is no guarantee that Faker will be selected to participate in the Asian Games. The mid-lane position in South Korean LoL is currently dominated by two young stars, ShowMaker and Chovy. In reality, they are the most promising candidates for a spot on the South Korean national League of Legends team for the 2022 ASIAN Games, not Faker.