This archive report was first published on 21 April 2020.
On April 9, 2019, Son Heung-Min scored the opening goal for Tottenham Hotspur in their UEFA Champions League quarter-final match against Manchester City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London.
However, the 27-year-old South Korean footballer has now put his Premier League career on hold to fulfill his military service obligation. According to a report, Son began his three-week military training at a marines boot camp on the southern island of Jeju yesterday.
As a gold medalist at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, Son was exempt from serving in the military for two years. However, he chose to serve for a shorter period and complete 500 hours of community service instead.
Under the terms of his exemption, Son only needs to complete his basic training and perform the required community service to satisfy his conscription obligation. Basic training in the marines and navy is three weeks, compared to four weeks in the army.
Meanwhile, the Premier League has been suspended since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic, with no date set for its resumption.
Yonhap news agency reported that Son reported to the marines camp on Jeju, where he was seen walking past a military truck and soldiers, wearing a green sweatshirt, a black cap, and a face mask.
