South Korean gamers reportedly chorus from talking to nationwide media exterior official World Cup commitments.
Printed On 16 Jun 2026
South Korea’s preparations for his or her World Cup match towards Mexico have been overshadowed by a rift between the gamers and the nation’s media following disparaging feedback about captain Son Heung-min.
The spat reportedly led to the resignation of one of many workforce’s media officers on Tuesday. The nationwide workforce has but to substantiate the resignation, which has been reported by a number of the media overlaying the South Korean squad in Guadalajara.
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Entry for the media had apparently been minimize off after the feedback towards Son have been caught on digital camera. Gamers reportedly kept away from talking to South Korean media exterior official World Cup commitments, and scheduled interviews with gamers have been cancelled.
Mexican media stated there was a gathering between the workforce’s media officers and the South Korean media to debate the incident.
There was no media entry scheduled on Tuesday. The pre-match information convention is scheduled for Wednesday.
The South Korean soccer affiliation stated it regretted “the inappropriate remarks made by some media personnel in the course of the nationwide soccer workforce’s coaching on the Guadalajara base camp”. The organisation added the feedback precipitated “nice shock and disappointment” inside the squad.
The incident occurred throughout an open coaching session on June 7, days earlier than South Korea beat the Czech Republic 2-1 in its first World Cup match.
The 33-year-old Son, operating with teammates, was mocked by unidentified media personnel over his army file in footage recorded by broadcaster JTBC, South Korea’s official rights holder for the event. The video was later leaked, prompting a powerful response on social media.
By serving to South Korea win gold on the 2018 Asian Video games, Son earned an exemption from the necessary 21-month army service required of able-bodied males.
Son later accomplished different duties, together with a three-week army coaching course in 2020 and neighborhood service.
The federation stated in Monday’s assertion that it “will proceed to prioritise the safety of the squad and try to create a wholesome media atmosphere”.
Son, who left Tottenham for Los Angeles FC a yr in the past, missed possibilities within the victory over the Czech Republic, with Hwang In-beom and Oh Hyeon-gyu scoring in Guadalajara.
South Korea performs once more in Guadalajara on Thursday when it faces Mexico in Group A.
