Hwang to miss two June friendlies due to military training

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Hwang Hee-chan will miss two of South Korea’s four friendlies ahead of June’s World Cup to allow the winger to complete his basic military training.

Hwang is exempt from the country’s conscription after winning the gold medal with South Korea’s under-23 soccer team at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.

But the 26-year-old has four weeks of basic training left and will report for duty after Paulo Bento’s game against Chile on 6 June.

The Koreans, who qualified for November’s World Cup in Qatar, play Brazil on June 2 before taking on Chile. They then play Paraguay on June 10 and Egypt four days later.

Hwang is replaced in the squad by Ulsan Hyundai forward Um Won-sang.

All male South Koreans between the ages of 18 and 35 are required to serve in the military for between 18 and 22 months, although exceptions are granted for athletes who have achieved success in international competitions.