A Divided Nation’s Greatest Stage for Male Golfers
The Asian Games and Olympic Games / Next Stage is Japan
Seoul, Korea - On June 25, 1950, the Korean War began with North Korea’s invasion of the South. The fighting continued for 3 years, 1 month, and 2 days until the armistice was signed on July 27, 1953, and the ceasefire line was drawn.
But the war has never truly ended. As of 2025, Korea has remained in a state of armistice for more than 26,000 days.
Article 39 of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea outlines four mandatory duties for every citizen. The first among them is the duty of national defense:
“All citizens shall have the duty of national defense as prescribed by law.”
There are, however, ways to fulfill this duty through alternative service—most notably the special military exemption granted to outstanding athletes and artists.
K-pop stars such as BTS are not eligible for this exemption, as it does not apply to popular entertainers. As a result, most members completed their mandatory military service.
Athletes, however, may be exempted if they bring glory to the nation. The two key pathways are winning a gold medal at the Asian Games or earning an Olympic medal.
The Korea Golf Association (KGA), the governing body of Korean golf, selects the national team that competes at every Olympic Games and Asian Games.
Due to pandemic delays, the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games were held in 2023, and the KGA dispatched its national squad based on the following criteria: two players from the top of the OWGR or Rolex Rankings and two from the top of the KGA rankings.
The men’s team consisted of two professionals and two amateurs; the women’s team, since women are exempt from military duty, was composed entirely of amateurs focused more on their professional careers than military considerations.
For the men, the stakes were different. PGA TOUR players Sungjae Im and Siwoo Kim, both serving as pros on the team, were in dire need of the military exemption. The amateur duo—Wooyoung Cho of the Asian Tour and KPGA Tour, and Yubin Jang, formerly with LIV Golf’s Iron Heads—also postponed turning pro for two to three years in hopes of earning the exemption.
Their gamble paid off. Team Korea claimed gold in the men’s team event, winning by a commanding 25 strokes over Thailand with a final total of 76-under 788.
“It was a very long week,” Im said at the time. “Every shot affected the team score. When I made a double bogey, I was furious.”
Im also won individual silver, falling just one shot short. Yet he remained unfazed.
“After the second round, I was 10 shots behind the leader. I told myself to focus only on the team event. But coming down the stretch on the final day, I got a little greedy,” he said. “This experience helped me mentally. I think I can focus on the PGA TOUR for much longer.”
Two years later, on November 21, 2025, Im completed three weeks of basic training as an arts and sports service member at the Marine Corps’ 9th Brigade training center.
He posted a photo of himself saluting after graduation on social media, thanking fans: “Thanks to everyone’s support, I finished training safely and without injury. I’ll now complete my 544 hours of community service alongside young golfers.”
He continued, “In 20 years of playing golf, I’ve never gone more than three days without holding a club. I was worried about preparing for next year’s PGA TOUR season. But I wanted to set an example as a Korean citizen by fulfilling my duty proudly and honorably.”
With a lighter heart, Im will resume his PGA TOUR season at The American Express on January 21.
All four Hangzhou medalists can now move forward unburdened.
But others still carry the weight of uncertainty.
Tom Kim is among them. He failed to win a medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, finishing tied for eighth. Before the Games, he said, “If I win a medal, I hope it’s gold. I want to hear the national anthem on the podium.” But gold went to his close acquaintance Scottie Scheffler of the United States, silver to England’s Tommy Fleetwood, and bronze to Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama.
Kim shed tears afterward.
Now he gets a second chance—at the 2026 Aichi–Nagoya Asian Games.
KGA confirmed the selection criteria in August. Unlike last time, three men and three women will compete.
The first selection priority goes to Korean players ranked inside the top 15 of the OWGR or Rolex Rankings. If none qualify, the spots go to amateurs.
As of November 26, the top six Korean men in the OWGR are Sungjae Im, Siwoo Kim, Byeonghun An, Tom Kim, Sunghyun Kim, and Taehoon Ok.
With Im and Siwoo now exempt and not planning to compete, the realistic candidates are An, Tom, and Sunghyun Kim. If An resolves his situation through other means, the opportunity will pass to Taehoon Ok, the 2025 KPGA Player of the Year.
KGA will evaluate OWGR rankings in March. Maintaining their position until then is essential for earning a place on the national team.
Sunghyun, set to return to the PGA TOUR next year, lists an Asian Games gold medal as one of his major goals.
“I know how meaningful it is to represent my country,” he said. “If I get the chance, I want to play in the Asian Games. And if I make the team, I want gold—nothing less.”
Tom Kim, still haunted by his near miss in Paris, is quietly preparing in Korea. The Asian Games are firmly in his sights.
Korea has won 14 gold, 15 silver, and 10 bronze medals in golf at the Asian Games. The men’s individual golds came in 2006 (Kim Kyungtae) and 2010 (Kim Minhui). Team golds were earned in 1986 (Seoul), 2006 (Doha), 2010 (Guangzhou), and most recently in Hangzhou.
Korea has only one Olympic golf medalist in history: Inbee Park
