Yang Min-hyeok apologises for military exemption remarks after gold

📰 Yang Min-hyeok has apologised after his military exemption remarks following Asian Games gold sparked a backlash. 📌 Key points 🥇 South Korea beat hosts Japan 1-0 in the final on 3 October. 🎯 Yang set up Eom Ji-sung's winning goal. 🎙️ His post-match comments about military exemption caused controversy. 🙇 He posted a public apology on social media. ⚽ Yang is on a season-long loan from Spurs at Westerlo. 📝 What happened 🏆 South Korea beat hosts Japan 1-0 in the men's football final on 3 October to win a fourth consecutive Asian Games gold. Yang provided the assist for Swansea City's Eom Ji-sung. 🎙️ The trouble came afterwards. Yang said the squad had been playing with the exemption in mind as their reward, and that whether it was a trophy or a medal had not really mattered. Many felt he had belittled the honour of representing his country. 🙇 In a social media post, Yang said he was sincerely sorry for causing disappointment and discomfort to so many people. He explained he had failed to convey that the exemption was only one of several motivations, alongside the desire to achieve great results. 🪖 He added that he never intended to belittle or mock those currently doing their military service and promised to show a greater sense of responsibility on the pitch. 📊 By the numbers • Final: South Korea 1-0 Japan (3 October) • Fourth straight Asian Games men's football gold for South Korea • Yang's age: 20 🔭 Why it matters In South Korea, Asian Games gold brings exemption from military service, as former Spurs captain Son Heung-min received in 2018. Yang's task now is to move past the controversy with his performances. He now returns to Westerlo to continue his loan spell.