The South Korean is a golfer on the rise in his career. He is 22 years old and the results are starting to come. He has already won three PGA Tour tournaments and is closing in on his first major victory. Last year he was tied second at The Open, golf's oldest tournament, and eighth at the US Open.

He is currently ranked 20th in the world, just behind his compatriot Im Sung-jae, who is not at the Games. He doesn't need to, because his victory at the 2022 Asian Games has earned him the exemption Kim could get at Paris 2024.

The other South Korean player at the Games is An Byeong Hun. He hopes his compatriot will get a medal if he can't himself. He admits that there are various points of view on the issue of military service, but he appreciates that sportsmen and women have that opportunity.

There have been previous cases of South Korean sportsmen and women who have had to take a career break to do military service. Even if it is done at the beginning of one's youth, it is a pause that can affect the development of professional activity, because after the pause it is necessary to restart work processes that have been left undone.

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Kim's chances are still intact in the tournament. After two days of competition, he is fifth with eight strokes under par together with the Belgian Thomas Detry and the Chinese Taiwanese C.T. Pan. They are three strokes behind the three leaders and one behind Spain's Jon Rahm. The situation is more difficult for his compatriot Byeong Hun, who is -2, nine strokes behind the medals.

There are two rounds left to close the tournament. On the penultimate day, Kim will tee off in the match at 12:17 local time with Germany's Stephen Jaeger and Italy's Guido Migliozzi. It would be another step in his career and it could take him away from military training as well.