Spurs' Son Heung-min to begin military training during virus shutdown

Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates at full time during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur in Birmingham, U.K., February 16, 2020. /VCG

Tottenham's South Korean striker Son Heung-min will report to a marines boot camp later this month to fulfill military service duties.

All able-bodied South Korean men are obliged to serve in the military for nearly two years, but Son was spared a career-threatening stint as a conscript when South Korea took gold at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, earning the team an exemption.

It means he could fulfill his obligations with just three weeks' basic training and around 500 hours of community service.

Son will report to a marines boot camp on the southern island of Jeju on April 20 for his basic training.

Screenshot from Son Heung-min's Instagram account, April 1, 2020.

The 27-year-old's English Premier League season ended even before the coronavirus outbreak spread to Europe when he broke his arm against Aston Villa on February 16, and Spurs said he returned to South Korea for "personal reasons."

The Premier League is postponed until at least April 30 because of the pandemic.

Source(s): AFP