GOLFER Tom Kim sobbed after failing to secure a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
South Korean Kim, 22, could have avoided military service had he achieved a podium finish in the men’s individual stroke play on Sunday.
In South Korea, able-bodied men must partake in 18-21 months of mandatory military service.
They have to be conscripted by the age of 28, typically when a high-level athlete such as Kim would be hitting their prime.
If a South Korean is able to earn a medal at either the Olympics or Asian Games, however, they are typically made exempt.
Kim went into round four three shots off the lead, having won three PGA Tour events during his career.
But a disappointing double-bogey on the 18th hole saw the Seoul-born star slump to eighth.
In footage circulating online, Kim can be seen in floods of tears back in the clubhouse.
He will have another chance to achieve an exemption before he turns 28, at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya and Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
Following today’s fourth and final round, Kim said: “[I’ve] never been really emotional after a round.
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“I think these emotions are surprising but I think it’s just all the hard work I’ve done this year to put myself in this position, those things are coming out.
“Just the things Scottie [Scheffler] said to me after the round really kind of came out and I’m just trying to hold it together.”
Kim’s situation has been likened to that of Bae Sang-moon.
The Daegu-born golfer, 38, had to begin military service in 2015, having already won a pair of PGA Tour events.
Following his eventual return to golf, Bae never reached his previous heights.
Quizzed about his compatriot’s situation earlier this week, Kim said: “It doesn’t worry me at all.
“It’s the way our country works, and good golf takes care of everything. Just because it happened to him doesn’t mean it happens to other people.
“You can’t say that it affected him at all. There could be different things that could have happened.
“I’m not really thinking about it. It’s not on my mind at all, I’m just trying to focus on my game.”
Tottenham star Son Heung-min famously earned an exemption for helping South Korea win gold in football at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.
His side, which also included Kim Min-jae and Hwang Hee-chan, beat Japan 2-1 after extra time in the final.
