[Asian Games] Baseball National Team, Military Service Benefits and Up to 200 Million Won in Rewards

Members of the baseball national team who achieved a 4-peat at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games will receive generous rewards along with military service benefits.

On the 7th, at the No. 1 field of the Shaoxing Baseball and Softball Sports Center near Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, South Korean players who won the gold medal in the final match between Taiwan and South Korea at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games are celebrating their victory. Photo by Yonhap News

According to the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) regulations on the 9th, the Ryu Joong-il team will receive a total of 200 million KRW as a gold medal reward. The team of about 30 members, including head coach Ryu Joong-il, six other coaches, 24 players, and support staff, are expected to receive several million KRW each as a reward.

The baseball national team will receive government rewards in addition to the KBO compensation. Although the exact amount of the government reward has not been determined, it is expected to be similar to the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games. At that time, the government awarded 900,000 KRW to gold medalists in team events, 525,000 KRW to silver medalists, and 300,000 KRW to bronze medalists. Additionally, coaches received a daily allowance of 400,000 KRW and players 300,000 KRW during the training period. Based on the players’ rates, each received 4.8 million KRW.

The biggest focus is on the military service benefits for the baseball national team players. During the Asian Games, fans also concentrated on the military service benefits. Since baseball was excluded from the official program of the 2024 Paris Olympics and it is uncertain whether it will be included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the Asian Games represent the only opportunity for baseball players to receive military service benefits.

The national team players will replace their military service with the status of artistic and athletic personnel by winning the Hangzhou Games, undergoing only four weeks of military training, and then focusing on their athletic careers.

A total of 19 players on the team will receive military service benefits. Players who have already fulfilled their military duties or have been exempted will be compensated in other ways.

According to KBO regulations, players who do not receive military service benefits will receive 10 days of free agent (FA) registration points for participating in the Asian Games and 15 days for winning the championship.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.