Even if the athletes hadn't made those reckless remarks, I believe it is time to reform the military service exemption system.

It makes no sense to maintain a system created in 1973 for the purpose of "enhancing national prestige and promoting culture" as a basis for alternative military service even after half a century. At that time, increasing the nation's presence on the international stage was a crucial national goal, but today, the objective of sports policy should be the health of the entire population, participation in physical activities, and the expansion of the grassroots sports foundation.
We need to view support for elite athletes' achievements in international competitions and benefits within the military service system as separate issues. While we should sufficiently support and reward the achievements of national athletes, we must separately consider whether those achievements constitute a valid reason to substitute military service obligations.
Particularly from the perspective of sports policy, rather than focusing excessively on gaining national pride through a few international medals, I believe the policy weight should shift toward investing in facilities and programs that allow more citizens to exercise, as well as in grassroots sports instructors.