PARIS, France (AFP) — South Korean youngster Tom Kim kept himself in contention for an Olympic golf medal on Friday — and with it exemption from military service.

The 22-year-old, who has already won three PGA Tour titles, was joint fifth on eight under par for the tournament at Le Golf National after a three-under second round of 68.

Kim is trying to put the extra ramifications of winning a medal to the back of his mind.

South Korean men who win medals at the Olympics are granted an exemption from military service, which is not mandatory for women.

“I’m just trying to focus on my game,” he said.

“I’m a competitor and we all play for the same thing. It’s just golf. So I’m just trying to put my head down and play.”

Mandatory military service has affected young South Korean golfers in the past.

Bae Sang-moon had two PGA Tour wins to his name and was ranked in the world’s top 30 when he had to pause his career.

He struggled to reestablish himself after returning and is now the world number 552.

Im Sung-jae, now 26, won a team golf gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games to earn an exemption.

“It sucks, you have to give up golf but I guess the other Koreans would say, ‘Why do we get exempt from it?’ There are some ways to look at it,” said An Byeong-hun, the other South Korean golfer at the Paris Olympics.

“But at least we have a chance at the Asian Games or Olympics to get a medal to get exempt from the military service, so at least we have the opportunity.

“I really hope he (Kim) can make it through this week. If I can’t get a medal, I hope he gets it.”

Kim made a brilliant start to his medal bid with an opening 66 on Thursday and shook off an early bogey in his second round by holing out for eagle from a greenside bunker on the third hole.

A three-under back nine left him tied for fifth at the halfway stage, alongside Belgium’s Thomas Detry and Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Pan Cheng-tsung.

“It’s career-changing,” Detry said of Kim’s situation.

“I can’t believe there’s still no exemption because all they are doing is representing their countries all around the world.”