Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min reported to a Marine Corps unit in Jeju on Apr. 20 to begin three weeks of basic military training. Son has been in self-quarantine in South Korea since returning on Mar. 28.
The move comes as Tottenham's season has stalled amid the coronavirus outbreak in the UK. The Premier League's planned early-May restart has been called off with no indication of when play might resume, and training sessions have effectively stopped under social-distancing rules. Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho faced media criticism on Apr. 8 after training with Tanguy Ndombele and a few other players in a London park, and he appears likely to receive a warning from police.
Son had suffered a fracture in his right arm in February but has nearly recovered, according to the report. Tottenham, which had been monitoring his condition, announced on Apr. 7 that he would begin his military service in South Korea, indicating the injury had healed enough for him to take part in military training.
Football commentator Kim Dae-gil said of Son's enlistment: "Son Heung-min will certainly be able to withstand training. It's just a matter of making the best use of his time when he's most at leisure."
Basic training is only the start of Son's service obligations. Enlisted under the "arts/athletics" category of the Military Service Act, he will need to complete 544 hours of volunteer activities over his 34-month service period. At a pace of four hours a day, five days a week, that volunteer requirement alone would take 28 straight weeks, or about seven months, to finish. Son has already been taking part in charity campaigns in the UK and South Korea since last year as circumstances allowed. The Korea Football Association and Tottenham have been working on volunteer activity schedules for both his time in the UK and his visits to South Korea.
Son appears likely to avoid major media attention at his training facility, partly because a gathering of journalists would carry coronavirus risks and partly because Jeju Island is considered a "clean zone." Military authorities appear likely to use this to instruct Son on his enlistment without revealing details publicly. Foreign press coverage of his training location has focused on the intensity of the program, including chemical, biological and radiological exercises, shooting instruction and marching.
A soccer world official said: "Military service is an obligation for every [South Korean male], so he's presumably preparing for it physically and mentally." The official added: "My understanding is that he's focusing now on rehabilitation, including strengthening the muscles around his injury."
