South Korean Skater's Premature Celebration During Asian Games Costs Team Military Service Exemption

Men in South Korea are required to serve in the army for 18 months by the age of 28, but athletes can have the mandatory duty waived if they go on to win an Olympic medal or gold medal in the Asian Games. South Korean skater Jung Cheol-won had an Asian Games gold medal in his grasp but then decided to celebrate.

Jung, a member of the three-man South Korean skating team, took part in the men's 3,000-meter speed skating relay in the Asian Games on Monday. The 27-year-old was the skater in the final leg of the relay race and put on a great performance until he met the finish line.

Jung, thinking he had won the gold medal already, raised his hands and slowed down as he approached the finish line and the premature celebration allowed Taiwan's Huang Yu-Lin to sneak past him to win the race.

Taiwan finished with a time of 4:05.692 to win the gold medal, with South Korea crossing the line in second place with a time of 4:05.702.

Jung and the South Korean team lost the gold medal by 0.01 seconds.

South Korea's Jung Cheol-won (C) reacts after the men's final of the speed skating 3000m relay race during the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. (Photo by WANG ZHAO/AFP via Getty Images)

Going from thinking that you have just helped yourself and teammate Choi In-ho avoid having to serve in the army to then realize you just made the biggest mistake of your entire life - and to find out the difference was 0.01 seconds - has to be a feeling not many humans have ever felt.

“I made a rather big mistake,” Jung said, per Reuters. “I didn’t come at full speed to the finish line. I let my guard down too early. I am very sorry.”

South Korean law allows men who are deemed to excel in sports to defer their military service until the age of 30.

With Jung being 27 and the next Asian Games not taking place until 2026, he missed out on his last opportunity to gain military exemption. Thankfully for Choi, he's still young enough to get another shot at a gold medal to earn exempt status in 2026.