Tottenham forward Son Heung-min was rewarded heavily for being the best participant in a three-week military training program, according to the Korea Herald. He was one of five trainees to receive a prize at graduation on Friday.
Among the drills Son excelled in were reportedly those involving shooting and bayonet skills, chemical, biological and radiological training, individual battle skills and first aid training. The scores of those attending this program were not released but officials told the Herald that he was the best out of a group of 157 trainees.
"He received the 'Pilsung' prize which is one of five types of awards for best performers," a Marine Corps officer said. "All the courses were judged in a fair and strict manner, and his military training officers have said he went through the training faithfully."
South Korean law dictates that all able-bodied men must serve two years in the Korean armed forces. Son, however, is excluded from that requirement because he is a professional athlete who has won significant hardware. Specifically, his gold medal for South Korea at the 2018 Asian Games earned him his exemption -- had he not won that, he would have had to leave Tottenham to complete his service.
In place of his service, the Tottenham player had to complete this three-week training course and and 544 hours of community service over the next 34 months. He's expected to return to London and rejoin the club shortly as it prepares for the restart of the Premier League season.
