Tantalizing Treat For South Koreans if They Reach Second Stage

South Korean World Cup players will be exempted from mandatory military service if the team reaches the second round of the tournament in Germany, the defense ministry said Friday. Eight young players in the squad who have yet to fulfill their military service will benefit from the decision, including Park Ju-Young, the 20-year-old striker, the ministry said. The remaining players in the squad have already either completed their military service obligations or have received prior exemptions. South Korea opened their World Cup Group G account with a 2-1 victory over Togo on Tuesday in a performance that rekindled optimism that the team could beat France in their next game on Sunday and qualify for the second round of the tournament. Under normal circumstances healthy South Korean males must complete more than two years of compulsory military service. In the past, the government has grated exemptions to Olympic medalists and Asian Games gold medalists.