This archive report was first published on 8 May 2020.
On May 8, 2020, Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min completed a three-week basic military training course in South Korea, finishing near the top of his class and earning an award for his performance.
As part of his military service, Son, who led his country to gold in the 2018 Asian Games football tournament, still has to undertake 544 hours of community service over the next 34 months.
During his training, Son and his fellow trainees were exposed to tear gas, went on hikes, and received weapons training.
"He received the 'Pilsung' prize which is one of five types of awards for best performers," said a Marine Corps officer at the unit on the southern island of Jeju.
"All the courses were judged in a fair and strict manner, and his military training officers have said he went through the training faithfully," the officer added.
