Seoul, June 11: South Korea's military yesterday said it will give World Cup star Ahn Jung-Hwan leave to join the national soccer team's battle against Argentina today.
Striker Ahn, who is undergoing four weeks of basic military training, missed a friendly against Uruguay on Sunday. South Korea lost that match 2-0 and fans clamoured for Ahn.
The South Korean army gave Ahn special leave from his boot camp to join a training session yesterday and the friendly today.
"We took note of the soccer fans' desire for Ahn to take part in the game after Sunday's loss," said an army spokesman who declined to be named.
Ahn, 27, scored in South Korea's 1-0 win over Japan last week. After that match, he had his trademark long flowing hair shaved off and joined the military for the four-week basic training required of World Cup players.



All eligible South Korean men must serve in the military for 26 months, a legacy of the long stand-off with communist North Korea.



South Korea has exempted the World Cup squad from the long military service and required them to complete only basic training as a reward for advancing to the semi-finals of last year's World Cup, which the country co-hosted with Japan.


Bureau Report