When did Son Heung-min become he-who-must-not-be-named?
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A South Korean lawmaker claimed some players refer to captain Son Heung-min as “No. 7” or “that person” rather than by name, suggesting tensions within the national squad.
PHOTO: AFP
- A lawmaker said some South Korea players call captain Son Heung-min “No. 7” or “that person”, suggesting deeper tensions in the national team.
- At a National Assembly audit, KFA acting chief Lee Yong-soo declined to confirm the claims, while footage of Kim Min-jae and Hwang In-beom added to talk of a squad rift.
- The KFA urged calm, saying false rumours and personal attacks were causing distress, as it hoped the team would “grow more united” before November matches and the Asian Cup.
AI generated
SEOUL – Controversy surrounding South Korea’s national football team has continued to grow after a lawmaker claimed some players refer to captain Son Heung-min as “No. 7” or “that person” rather than by name, suggesting tensions within the squad may run deeper than previously thought.
During a parliamentary audit by the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee on Oct 21, Representative Jung Yeon-wook asked Lee Yong-soo, the acting chief of the Korea Football Association, who attended as a witness, if he knew some teammates referred to Son by his shirt number or an indirect reference rather than his name.
When Jung asked whether resentment over Son’s captaincy had been building among some players, Lee declined to comment. He did not confirm whether the alleged references to Son were evidence of a broader rift.
Lee said he had been briefed only in broad terms of the discussions, but declined to elaborate, citing the team’s privacy.
Jung then played footage of interviews with defender Kim Min-jae and midfielder Hwang In-beom after the friendly against Venezuela earlier in October.
In the video, Kim criticised the attackers for not doing enough to help defend. At the same time, Hwang voiced frustration with the team’s situation, fuelling speculation about a wider rift in the squad.
The representative pointed out that Hyun Young-min, head of KFA’s national team committee, met with the three players after the match for talks that stretched past midnight.
The lawmaker accused the football association of allowing speculation to flourish by failing to address the concerns. Lee said he hoped the team would “grow more united” under interim coach Robert Moreno as it prepared for November’s internationals and the Asian Cup in January.
Jung also cited reports that Kim, Hwang and forward Hwang Hee-chan – all born in 1996 – had considered retiring from international football after the friendly match against Uzbekistan on Oct 6. Local media reported that the three were unhappy with Son’s leadership and felt the team was being run around him.
Amid growing rumours, KFA addressed the situation in an Instagram post on Oct 13, saying that unverified claims were spreading online and personal attacks targeted several players.
KFA said it respected fans’ right to criticise but warned that false rumours and personal attacks were causing players distress. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK