Tottenham’s Yang Min-hyeok issues long apology after controversial gold medal statement

Tottenham winger Yang Min-hyeok has issued a formal apology after facing backlash for comments regarding his Asian Games gold medal. Following South Korea's 1-0 victory over Japan in the final, Yang told reporters that securing an exemption from mandatory military service was the squad's primary motivation, adding that winning the trophy or medal itself was not important.

His remarks sparked criticism in South Korea for downplaying the national achievement and military service obligations. In a social media statement, the 20-year-old apologized for causing disappointment, clarifying that the exemption was merely one motivator and acknowledging that his thoughtless words appeared to take the gold medal lightly.