This is an English version of our Korean article, based on public information as of October 4, 2026. Please check the official sources below for the latest details.
Read the original Korean article
Whenever the Asian Games are held, the benefits that gold medalists receive become a hot topic. Military service benefits (병역특례), pension and prize money are all mentioned at once, so it is easy to be confused about what is fact. This article focuses on the systems themselves rather than any particular athlete, and organizes only what can be confirmed from official guidance and media reports. Eligibility for many Korean programs depends on residency or registration status in Korea, so please confirm on the official site.
Summary
- The military service benefit applies only to first place (gold medal) at the Asian Games. Under the Enforcement Decree of the Military Service Act, for the Olympics it is third place or higher. It is not an exemption from service: athletes are enrolled as arts and sports personnel and perform alternative service.
- Arts and sports personnel serve in their field for 2 years 10 months (34 months) and must do a total of 544 hours of volunteer work during service.
- The athlete performance reward (경기력 성과포상금), known as the medal pension, is a points system. At the Asian Games it is 10 points for gold, 2 for silver and 1 for bronze, and a monthly payment can be received from 20 cumulative points.
- Government prize money was KRW 1.2 million for a gold medal at the Hangzhou Games, and prize money from sport federations varies greatly by federation.
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Status of the Games and the basis of this article
The 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games were held in and around Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4. The hosting period can be confirmed on the Games’ official site. The Korean team was reported to have won 23 gold, 26 silver and 44 bronze medals as of 4 p.m. on September 29, and please check the Games’ official site for the final tally.
The benefits are run separately by the Military Manpower Administration (MMA, 병무청), the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation (국민체육진흥공단) and sport federations. So it is hard to sum them up as one amount, and the criteria differ by operating body. Below we explain them body by body.
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Gold medal benefits at a glance
| Benefit | Target and criteria | Key content | Where to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Military service benefit (enrollment as arts and sports personnel) | Persons liable for military service who place first at the Asian Games (third or higher at the Olympics) | Alternative service of 2 years 10 months, 544 hours of volunteer work | Military Manpower Administration |
| Athlete performance reward (medal pension) | Accumulated points from placings in international competitions | Asian Games: gold 10 points, silver 2 points, bronze 1 point; monthly payment at 20 points or more | Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, Athlete Welfare Support Portal |
| Government prize money | Athletes who win medals | At the Hangzhou Games: gold KRW 1.2 million, silver KRW 700,000, bronze KRW 400,000 | Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Korea Sports & Olympic Committee |
| Sport federation prize money | Decided by each federation itself | Golf gold KRW 20 million, MMA gold medalists KRW 300 million each, etc.; differs by federation | The relevant sport federation |
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The military service benefit is, precisely, alternative service
It is commonly called exemption from military service, but in the MMA’s terms it is enrollment as arts and sports personnel. The enrollment criteria are in the Enforcement Decree of the Military Service Act, and sports personnel are those who placed third or higher at the Olympics and those who placed first at the Asian Games. Silver and bronze medals at the Asian Games do not qualify.
The procedure is also fixed. According to what the Jeonju Regional Military Manpower Office (전주지방병무청) explained, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism makes a recommendation, and when the Commissioner of the MMA notifies the regional office, it checks the placing results, whether the person was abroad and so on, and completes the enrollment within 3 days. Within 3 months after enrollment, the person receives basic service training of up to 3 days, and the military training call-up takes place within 1 year of the enrollment date.
Service is performed for 34 months in a field set by the MMA Commissioner, under the direction and supervision of the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. In sports, accepted ways include registering and competing as an athlete in the same event as at selection, or working in the sports coaching field. During service, the person must do a total of 544 hours of volunteer work, such as performances, lessons and public-interest campaigns for the socially vulnerable, young people and preschool children.
If the volunteer hours are not completed, the service period is extended, and if they are still not completed within 1 year of the extension date, the enrollment may be canceled. The key point is that a special benefit does not mean there are no obligations.
Esports was reported to be an official medal event at this Games too, so the same criteria were said to apply. However, it is said that esports will leave the Asian Games’ official events after this Games and be separated into a separate competition from 2027. It has been pointed out that the separate competition is currently not included in the enrollment criteria. As the debate for and against the fairness of the military service benefit continues, it is good to keep in mind that the system may change.
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The pension runs on a points system
The formal name of what is commonly called the medal pension is the athlete performance reward. The Korea Sports Promotion Foundation operates it, converting results in international competitions into evaluation points and paying a monthly payment and other amounts. It is a separate system from the military service benefit, so athletes who win silver and bronze medals can also accumulate points.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Asian Games evaluation points | Gold medal 10 points, silver medal 2 points, bronze medal 1 point |
| Monthly payment condition | Cumulative evaluation points of 20 or more |
| Monthly payment cap | KRW 1 million per month at 110 points or more |
| If under 20 points | A special incentive of KRW 4.5 million for results such as an Asian Games gold medal |
| Compared with Olympic gold | Evaluation points of 90 |
There is a point that many people misunderstand here. An Asian Games gold is 10 points, so an athlete with no other international results cannot receive a monthly payment from a gold medal alone. Instead, according to reports, there is a separate special incentive for when the monthly payment criterion is not met. Athletes who have already accumulated points from other competitions can add these 10 points and exceed 20.
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Where does prize money come from, and how much
Government prize money is not as large as you might expect. At the Hangzhou Asian Games three years ago, government prize money was reported to be KRW 1.2 million for gold, KRW 700,000 for silver and KRW 400,000 for bronze. Because the amounts for this Games need to be confirmed by an official announcement, please refer to notices from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Sports & Olympic Committee.
In practice, the large sums often come from sport federations. According to reports, the Korea Golf Association set this Games’ gold medal prize at KRW 20 million, silver at KRW 10 million and bronze at KRW 5 million, and the Korea MMA Federation (대한MMA총협회) decided to give each gold medalist KRW 300 million. At the Hangzhou Games, the Korea Swimming Federation set gold medal prizes at KRW 10 million for individual events and KRW 20 million for team events, and there was also a separate bonus for Asian records.
Team event prize money may be split among the participating athletes, and some sports add record bonuses, so even for the same gold medal the amount actually received differs. For the exact payment criteria, you need to check each sport federation’s notice.
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Common misunderstandings, sorted out
First, the misunderstanding that a gold medal means exemption from military service. In reality it is alternative service. Second, the misunderstanding that a single gold medal brings a lifetime pension. A monthly payment requires cumulative points of 20 or more. Third, the misunderstanding that silver and bronze medals also bring a military service benefit. At the Asian Games only first place counts. Fourth, the misunderstanding that prize money is all similar. Government prize money and sport federation prize money have completely different criteria.
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Frequently asked questions
Q. Can silver or bronze medalists also receive the military service benefit?
Not at the Asian Games. According to MMA guidance, the criteria for enrolling as sports personnel are third place or higher at the Olympics and first place at the Asian Games. However, silver and bronze medals can still accumulate pension evaluation points.
Q. Does winning just one gold medal bring a monthly pension?
Usually not. An Asian Games gold is 10 points, and a monthly payment requires cumulative points of 20 or more. If points are short, there is, as reported, a special incentive system of KRW 4.5 million, and please check the exact criteria on the Athlete Welfare Support Portal.
Q. If you receive the military service benefit, do you not have to serve in the military?
No. You enroll as arts and sports personnel, serve in your field for 34 months, and do 544 hours of volunteer work. The military training call-up is also received within 1 year of the enrollment date.
Q. How much is the government prize money for this Games?
We could not confirm a finalized amount at the time of writing. At the Hangzhou Games it was KRW 1.2 million for gold, KRW 700,000 for silver and KRW 400,000 for bronze, and for the amounts for this Games, please check notices from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Sports & Olympic Committee.
Sources
- Military Manpower Administration: Introduction to the arts and sports personnel system
- Military Manpower Administration: Arts and sports personnel service management and service fields
- Jeonbuk Ilbo [Military service consultation] Qualifications, procedure and service fields for enrolling as arts and sports personnel (Jeonju Regional Military Manpower Office, Sept. 16, 2026)
- 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games official site
- Segye Ilbo: The secret of Asian Games medal money (Aug. 29, 2026)
- Wikitree: What are the benefits for Asian Games medalists
- Financial News: Military service benefit debate sparked by the Asian Games (Sept. 29, 2026)
This article compiles public information and media reports for informational purposes. Criteria for the military service benefit, pension and prize money may change with system revisions or individual circumstances, so please be sure to check the exact details in the official guidance of the Military Manpower Administration, the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the relevant sport federation.
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