Tom Kim topped the leaderboard after the third round at the Asian Games as he pursues the gold medal that would reduce his military service time.The South Korean carded an impressive score of five under par, bringing his total to 12 under par with one round to play.Tom Kim has extra motivation ahead of the final round at the Asian GamesGettyThat left him one stroke ahead of his closest challengers, Taiwan’s Wang Wei-hsuan and Japan’s Kazuki Higa.It comes after Kim made a swift exit from his International team’s defeat to USA at the Presidents Cup on Sunday in order to prepare. In South Korea, military service is a mandatory requirement for able-bodied men with the period of service lasting any time between 18 and 21 months.However, gold medals won at the Asian Games as well as Olympic medals provide an exemption from service with the exception of month-long basic training.Team medals are also considered sufficient as ex-Tottenham forward Heung-min Son found out. He also secured the exemption and served for just three weeks in 2020 after winning the Asian Games two years earlier with South Korea.There is a team element to the golf tournament as well – with South Korea currently top by one stroke. Kim’s huge incentive No.32-ranked Kim is hoping he can avoid military service that would impact his momentum.Kim immediately jetted to Japan for the Asian games after competing at the Presidents Cup in the United States.With just six hours sleep and a 14-hour time difference, he teed off at the Kasugai Country Club with one objective on his mind – winning.Heung-min Son was granted an exemption back in 2020 following his Asian Games successGettyKim was all smiles after topping the leaderboard on FridayGettyHe previously came close to an exemption at the Paris 2024 Olympics but finished in eighth place despite making a strong start.Now Kim has another shot at halting military service.South Korea leads the rankings in the men’s team competition, offering yet another chance for exemption from military service. Both Tom Kim and SH Kim would be exempt if they pick up a gold medal in the event.However, team member Mun Do-yeob would not receive the same perk having already completed his service.“I think about it. It’s so tough,” SH Kim said when discussing the prospect of military service.“I am 100% nervous, for sure. It’s a lot of pressure. I could stay on the PGA Tour (with a gold). That’s my goal.”The Asian Games is a continental multi-sport event held every four years for athletes from across Asia.The event is currently taking place in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, running from September 19 to October 4, 2026.