Tottenham Hotspur star Heung-min Son is one of the biggest Asian players in football right now,
but South Korea’s military conscription laws could see the winger’s value plummet by more than a
quarter.
At least that’s what the trend indicates among South Korean professionals who head off to serve
their compulsory time in the nation’s military, which has long been a tradition for the country and
could see Son called back home in the years to come.
Son has just come to the end of a campaign in which he scored 18 goals—the second-highest
season total of his career to date—and is listed at a value of £31.5 million on Transfermarkt. It’s
likely a 25-year-old with the aptitude he’s shown for Premier League football is actually worth more,
but the website serves as a reliable indicator nonetheless.
South Korean footballers will almost always sign up with the military’s football team, K-League
outfit Sangju Sangmu FC, during their conscription period in an effort to maintain their careers in
some form.
But seldom does a period in the army spell good news for a players’ transfer price and overall
value.
We analysed the top 10 most valuable footballers to represent Sangju Sangmu in each of the past
three seasons. Of those 30 players, 21 showed a decline in value either during or soon after their
conscription: