Tottenham Hotspur striker Son Heung-min is to be exposed to tear gas, undertake live-fire drills and go on a 30km loaded march during three weeks of intense military training this month, a South Korean Marine Corps official said yesterday.
All able-bodied men are required to serve in the military for about two years in South Korea, which is technically still at war with North Korea, but Son received an exemption for leading the nation to the gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games.
Son, 27, is to complete his mandatory military service while the English Premier League remains suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the London club said on Monday.
Photo: AP
Son, in self-quarantine in South Korea in line with tightened entry rules due to the pandemic, is to begin the stint on April 20 at a Marine Corps unit on the southernmost South Korean island of Jeju, local media reported.
The South Korean Military Manpower Administration, which handles conscription issues, declined to confirm the date and location, citing privacy rules, but an official at the Marine Corps said that Son would receive a shortened version of a boot camp required for all new enlistees, including discipline education, combat drills, and a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) exercise.
A video of the military training posted on YouTube showed a group of troops undergoing CBRN training in a gas chamber. After a few minutes they are let out, tears streaming down their faces and pouring water over their heads.
“The CBRN training is usually the toughest part of the boot camp,” the video says.
The official said that Son would wrap up the three-week service period with a group march of up to 30km.
“Once you’re in the military, you should be able to fire a rifle, breath in the gas and participate in a battle, rolling and crawling around the field,” the official said. “During the march, our regular Marine Corps recruits would bring 40kg of equipment, but it could be much lighter for alternative trainees depending on the program.”
The military would conduct regular temperature and medical checks on all troops, and would require them to maintain distance during the training to prevent any COVID-19 infection, the official said, adding that doctors would also provide treatment for Son’s recently fractured arm if necessary.
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