The South Korean national soccer team has gone from the best it has ever been to the worst it has ever been. The team’s captain, Son Heung-min (32, Tottenham), accepted an apology from Lee Kang-in (23, Paris Saint-Germain), the youngest member of the team and the man at the center of the conflict, paving the way for the team to return to the “one” team. The Korean Football Association, on the other hand, has been criticized for its passive stance throughout the whole affair.
On Nov. 21, Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in each posted messages of reconciliation on their social media accounts. Lee revealed that he traveled from France to London to apologize to Son in person, while Son embraced Lee and asked him to forgive his junior. The reconciliation comes a week after it was revealed that Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in were involved in a physical clash ahead of the semifinals of the 2023 Asian Cup 카지노사이트 in Qatar against Jordan.

The clash between the two representatives of Korean soccer caused a great shock to Korean society. In particular, Lee Kang-in, who has been a familiar image since he was a child through the TV show “Fly, Shoot Doll,” disobeyed the instructions of his senior and captain, Son Heung-min, and his behavior spread to the so-called “Ha Kuk Sang controversy,” which caused a huge aftermath. Fans of the soccer team criticized Lee Kang-in, saying he should be “permanently banned from the national team,” “stripped of his Asian Games gold medal,” and “enlisted in the military.” Lee posted an apology on social media on the 15th, saying, “I’m sorry for my bad behavior,” but it only added fuel to the fire. Football fans responded by criticizing the way he apologized, saying, “Apologize properly.”
Lee was increasingly pushed to the brink, and on the 16th, Chung Mong-kyu, the president of the Korea Football Association, said at a press conference about Klinsmann’s suspension, “I think the only discipline is not to call up (the players). We will discuss the matter later when the next national team coach is appointed.”
In the end, Lee traveled to London to personally apologize to Son Heung-min, who accepted the apology wholeheartedly. “I thought it was important for (Son) to visit my brother in person and apologize from the bottom of my heart, and through our long conversation, I understood the weight of being the captain of the team and reflected on myself,” Lee said. “I would like to thank my brother for welcoming me to London and for his support,” he added. “I did something that I should never have done that day. Even in hindsight, I shouldn’t have done it. I am deeply remorseful for these things,” he said, bowing his head.
Son Heung-min embraced his junior. He posted a photo of Lee smiling broadly as they stood shoulder to shoulder, signaling their reconciliation. “He sincerely repented and apologized to me and all the players on the national team. I will take care of him so that he can grow into a better person and a better athlete,” and added, “(Lee) is going through a very difficult time, so please forgive him with a generous heart once. As the captain of the national team, I’m asking you,” and urged soccer fans to embrace his junior.
For now, the dramatic reconciliation between the two has sealed the deal. The squad is set to convene next month on April 18, and the two North and Central American World Cup 2026 qualifiers against Thailand on April 21 and 26 will be played without incident. In the end, it is believed that the players resolved the issue between themselves and took the pressure off the FA ahead of the selection of the next national team coach.
The FFA immediately acknowledged the clash when it was reported by British media outlet The Sun, which led to further internal revelations and strong criticism from soccer fans. However, the national team was criticized for not trying to solve the problem amidst the chaos. Fans are also reacting to the situation by saying, “The soccer federation has turned a blind eye and blown their nose.” As one former national soccer player put it, “It’s like they put all the burden on a young player. The soccer federation didn’t seem to have any system in place to solve the problem.”