Pro Golfer Sangmoon Bae Must Return to Korea for Military Service

Sangmoon Bae, South Korean pro golfer, has been ordered to return home to complete a two-year mandatory military service after failing to extend his overseas travel permit, which expired last year.

A court in his hometown, Daegu, has taken the side of Military Manpower Administration (MMA). It ruled that refusing to sign up with the army is against the country's "principle of fairness" among other citizens who have served willingly.

Bae has humbly accepted the ruling and apologized to his fans for causing concern. According to him, "I decided that I can mature further as a golfer by returning home as soon as I can and complete my mandatory military service".

Initially, he had hoped to delay conscription by qualifying as an overseas citizen of the United States, already having earned residency in 2013. However, the MMA has asserted that his time outside South Korea wasn't enough for him to avoid completing his service.

Serving in the military for two years is compulsory for all 18 to 35-year old men in the country, what with its ongoing conflict with North Korea. Other South Korean golfers, like Y.E. Yang and K.J. Choi, have already been in the army before joining the Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) Tour.

Bae, on the other hand, has planned to conclude the FedEx Cup Playoffs before going home. He also wanted to be potentially eligible for Rio 2016 Olympics, considering that South Korea offers exemptions to Olympic winners. However, the district court's ruling stopped him from playing through.

Fortunately, reporting for duty and being away from the golf scene for two years won't hurt his eligibility. Thanks to the introduction of new tournament regulations, which the PGA Tour policy board will ratify next week, a 'mandatory obligation' allows Bae to "return to competition with the same eligibility as if he were under a major medical/family crisis extension".