'First Place in Gugak Competition with 8 Participants' Also Qualifies for Military Service Exemption

1. Overview

Controversy erupted after cases came to light of people receiving alternative military service as arts personnel simply for placing in “international competitions” held in South Korea that were attended almost exclusively by Koreans, or in domestic competitions with around ten entrants. The issue became public on October 8, 2026, when independent lawmaker Kim Byeong-gi released Military Manpower Administration data and MBN and Segye Ilbo reported on it.

The arts personnel system was created to give artists whose abilities had been recognized abroad a way to fulfill their military service through their work. However, the released data showed that a substantial number of those who qualified through international competition results had in fact competed against other Koreans at events held in South Korea. As a result, criticism of military-service exemptions—which had focused on sports personnel after the Asian Games—spread to the arts.

2. The Arts Personnel System

Under the system, people who place in the top two at an international arts competition designated by the commissioner of the Military Manpower Administration, or who win first place at a designated domestic competition in a field without an international competition, fulfill their military service by working in their field instead of enlisting in active service. The system was introduced in 1973, alongside the sports personnel system. In contrast to sports personnel, who must achieve results at a major international sporting event such as placing in the top three at the Olympics or winning gold at the Asian Games, arts personnel can qualify by placing in a single competition.

3. Cases Brought to Light

3.1. “International Competitions” Where Koreans Competed Against Koreans

According to data obtained by lawmaker Kim Byeong-gi from the Military Manpower Administration, of the 51 people who became arts personnel by placing in international competitions between 2021 and 2025, only 14 had competed in events held overseas. The remaining 37 had competed in international events held in South Korea. At four of the six international competitions held domestically that produced arts personnel, more than half of the entrants were Korean.

One international contemporary dance competition stood out. All 41 male entrants in 2021 and all 32 in 2022 were Korean, yet three award winners from those two years became arts personnel. At another international dance competition where more than 70% of the male entrants were Korean, 16 people were assigned to arts personnel over five years. Since these events were no different in practice from domestic competitions despite being called international, they were described as “international in name only.”

3.2. A Domestic Competition with Eight Entrants

For domestic competitions, the number of entrants became an issue. In 2022, just eight people entered the jeongga category of a traditional Korean music competition, and the first-place winner qualified as arts personnel. According to MBN, the men’s traditional Korean dance categories at two dance competitions in 2025 each had only 13 entrants, and the first-place winners received military-service benefits as expected.

Lawmaker Kim said, “Competitions with not a single foreign entrant are being passed off as international events, while someone who came first in a competition with only eight entrants received special military-service treatment. We must use this opportunity to properly address the unfairness of military-service exemptions based on international competitions in name only and competitions that are little more than private gatherings.”

4. Background to the Growing Controversy

The data came out at a time when public opinion was already heated over the sports personnel exemption. After South Korea defeated Japan in the men’s football final at the Asian Games on October 3, 2026, winning the title for the fourth consecutive time, some players drew criticism for saying they had “played with nothing but exemption from military service in mind” or posting photos of themselves wearing demobilization caps in the locker room. SBS reported that of the 80 sports personnel assigned between 2022 and August 2026, 65 had qualified by winning Asian Games gold, including 42 in football and baseball.

On October 6, the Ministry of National Defense announced that it would ultimately pursue reducing or abolishing alternative service categories, including arts and sports personnel. The Military Manpower Administration said it had already reached an understanding with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on reducing the competitions that qualify people for arts personnel to focus on prestigious events and gradually revising the criteria. It said the results of a related research project were expected as early as the following month, November. The newly released data on arts personnel therefore brought the arts into the discussion of these reforms.

5. Authenticity Debate

The question is whether the figures point to a “loophole” in the system or reflect the particular nature of the arts.

5.1. The View That It Is a Loophole in the System

This side points to the system’s purpose of enhancing national prestige. Recognizing a competition with not a single foreign entrant as an international event is, in itself, inconsistent with that purpose, they argue, and the fact that 37 of the 51 people who qualified through international competitions came from events held in South Korea is difficult to dismiss as coincidence. They also argue that the bar is far too low compared with sports personnel: while sports personnel must win Asian Games gold, arts personnel can qualify simply by coming first in a competition with eight entrants. There are also strong calls for this time to be different, since previous reform efforts have repeatedly fizzled out in the face of opposition from the arts community.

5.2. The View That the Particular Nature of Each Field Must Be Considered

The opposing side argues that the number of entrants alone cannot determine a competition’s level. Traditional arts such as jeongga and the traditional category of Korean dance have few practitioners to begin with, so their competitions are bound to have small fields. They contend that if these fields are not supported, their traditions could die out. MBN’s report also noted that traditional arts are fields with “distinctive characteristics.” The fact that many entrants at an international competition held in South Korea are Korean is also natural for an event hosted in Korea. Moreover, since the names of the competitions in question and the level of their award winners have not been disclosed, it may be too early to assess the competitions’ prestige.

6. Trivia

• Lawmaker Kim Byeong-gi also questioned the case of a ballet dancer who received special military-service treatment based on an international competition result at a National Assembly hearing in December 2018. The dancer’s exemption was later revoked (JTBC, 2020).
• Bills have been introduced in the National Assembly, including one by lawmaker Joo Ho-young to exclude the Asian Games from the exemption system and grant exemptions through recommendations by the National Assembly and approval by the Cabinet, and one by lawmaker Cha Gyu-geun requiring arts and sports personnel to make contributions if their monthly income while serving exceeds 5 million won.