Golfer Tom Kim won gold at the Asian Games over the weekend, and thanks to his moment of glory, also secured an exemption from mandatory service in South Korea’s military.Kim, 24, led going into the final round at Kasugai Country Club, and produced a six-under-par 64 to finish 18 under and claim victory by three strokes.Kim secured gold, and military exemption, at the Asian GamesGettyHe rushed from the Presidents Cup competition in Illinois to Aichi, Japan, to compete at the Asian Games.Kim won having arrived on just six hours of sleep, given the 14-hour time difference he had to contend.But his efforts were well worth it, as he can continue his career with minimal disruption.South Korean men are usually required to undertake between 18 and 21 months of military service before the age of 28. Some athletes, though, can win exemption.The government rewards Asian Games champions and Olympic medal winners of any colour with an exemption bar basic training, which lasts less than a month.Former Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min served for only three weeks in 2020, having won the Asian Games two years prior.Meanwhile South Korea’s current soccer captain, Lee Gi-hyuk, has recently sparked controversy by gloating about being exempted from military service following his team’s victory.Kim, meanwhile, has said little about his exemption.“I tried not to think about it,” he said after winning gold.“I just tried to play the best for my country. Selfishly, I didn’t really think about myself. I just thought, I want to bring a medal for my country.Kim is the latest South Korean athlete to win exemption from mandatory military serviceGettyKim delighted Woods with his performance at TGL Golf earlier this yearGetty“I had one goal, and to be able to represent Korea and win a medal, it’s something I’ll never forget in my career.”While he’s been fairly tight-lipped on military exemption, Kim did reveal a message he received from golf great Tiger Woods hours before he won gold in Japan.Tiger Woods sent Tom Kim message before Asian Games winKim delighted Woods earlier this year, when he sank a hole-in-one to help send Jupiter Links to TGL playoffs.The message from Tiger this weekend, was simple.“Just be you. Nothing more, nothing less,” Kim revealed.Indeed, it was a reminder for the four-time PGA Tour winner to stay true to his instincts.He started the final day with a one-shot lead, and ended it with exemption from military service.