Son Heung-min and four South Korea internationals issued a joint statement from Doha denying reports of a dressing-room feud and retirement-related demands following the 2026 World Cup group-stage exit. The statement addresses reports of a generational divide.
Statement Signatories
The joint statement was signed by Son Heung-min, Lee Jae-sung, Hwang Hee-chan, Hwang In-beom and Kim Min-jae.
World Cup Campaign
South Korea opened its 2026 World Cup campaign with a victory over Czechia before losing 1-0 to Mexico and 1-0 to South Africa and being eliminated in the group stage. Son Heung-min was benched for South Korea's final group match against South Africa.
Post-Exit Resignations
Head coach Hong Myung-bo and KFA president Chung Mong-gyu resigned after South Korea's World Cup exit.
Rumours and Response
GOAL reported that unnamed reports had suggested a split between the '92-Line' veterans, including Son Heung-min, and the '96-Line' generation featuring Kim Min-jae and Hwang Hee-chan.
Captain Son Heung-min, Lee Jae-sung, Hwang Hee-chan, Hwang In-beom and Kim Min-jae said: "It is entirely untrue that we attempted to force certain demands under the condition of retirement."
Writing from their current training camp in Doha, the players said: "We have played together for South Korean football for a long time, and we are team-mates who will continue to move forward toward the same goal."
Interim head coach Robert Moreno has called up all the players at the centre of the recent rumours for upcoming friendlies against Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
