It’s not just sporting glory at stake for Son Heung-min and his teammates Well, despite playing on soccer’s biggest stages in the World Cup and Champions League for his club, the 26-year-old forward faces arguably his biggest match Saturday in a relatively obscure competition in Indonesia. Why? son and his teammates could possibly face up to almost two years military service if they lose .

Under South Korea”s constitution, almost all young men are required to serve 21 months in the military. being exempt is extremely rare and even more controversial, especially for public figure

“Gangnam Style” singer Psy has served in the military, while baseball player Baek Cha-seung, who holds a US passport, renounced his citizenship to avoid being conscripted.

However, elite athletes can avoid military service if they win a medal in the Olympic Games, or a gold medal in the Asian Games. Further exceptions are made in extraordinary circumstances — the entire South Korean soccer team were given exemptions when they massively exceeded expectations in the 2002 World Cup by reaching the semifinals, beating soccer giants Italy and Spain along the way