The Defense Ministry says exempting the South Korean national soccer team from mandatory military service is impossible under current law.

A ministry official said the relevant law that took effect from 2008 limits exemption eligibility to a medal of any color at the Olympics or a gold medal in the Asian Games.

The official said therefore the National Assembly needs to revise the law to allow for an exemption.

The law had permitted earlier exemptions for the baseball players who reached the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic and soccer players who advanced to the second round of the 2002 World Cup soccer tournament. However, the law was made more stringent due to public criticism that it was unfair to other athletes.

Some have called for military service exemptions for the Taegeuk Warriors, who have reached the World Cup knockout round for the first time abroad.