Players raised management concerns, acting KFA chief says
South Korea's football association has acknowledged that senior national team players raised concerns about how the squad was being run, after allegations of strained relations with captain Son Heung-min reached a parliamentary audit on October 21, 2026.
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People Power Party lawmaker Jeong Yeon-wook questioned Lee Yong-soo, the Korea Football Association's vice president and acting president, about reports that teammates referred to Son as "number 7" or "that person" rather than using his name. Speaking before the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, Jeong asked whether relations had become so uncomfortable that players avoided naming their captain.
The allegation about those terms remains unconfirmed. Lee did acknowledge that players had complained about problems and difficulties in national team management, while declining to disclose the substance of their discussions.
The hearing brought together several concerns: public criticism from defender Kim Min-jae and midfielder Hwang In-beom, a lengthy meeting involving three players born in 1996, and reports that those players had considered leaving international football. Jeong challenged the association over its response and asked whether tensions around Son's leadership had accumulated over his nine years as captain.
Lee said the association expected interim coach Roberto Moreno to help manage relationships within the squad. He also promised measures to strengthen unity as South Korea prepared for two November internationals and an Asian Cup scheduled to open in January.
Why Son's name became an issue at the hearing
Son, identified in the accounts of the hearing as an LAFC player, became the focus when Jeong asked Lee who national team players were reportedly calling "number 7." Lee identified the captain in response.
Jeong then questioned whether the reported language reflected a deeper breakdown in teamwork. His concern was that players might be avoiding Son's name because their relationship with him had become strained, rather than simply referring to his shirt number.
The lawmaker also asked whether the players commonly described as the "96 line," meaning those born in 1996, had raised objections to Son's captaincy. Lee declined to give a direct answer to that question.
Lee, appearing as a witness in his capacity as acting association president, apologized before responding:
I apologize, but that is somewhat difficult for me to answer... I am sorry.
Jeong's questions placed the captaincy under scrutiny, while Lee's substantive acknowledgment concerned complaints about team management. The specific subjects discussed privately by the players remained undisclosed.
What Kim and Hwang said after Venezuela
South Korea's 0-0 friendly draw against Venezuela in Ulsan on October 2 provided some of the public comments examined at the audit. Jeong played interview footage of Kim and Hwang as he questioned the association's handling of the squad.
Kim, the Bayern Munich defender, criticized the attacking players' contribution when South Korea needed to defend. His comments concerned the work shared between players at the front and those protecting their own goal. Forwards can help by chasing opponents, closing passing routes and making it harder for the other team to attack.
Kim described his frustration after the match:
I feel sorry for the defenders. It didn't feel like we were all fighting together.
Hwang, the Porto midfielder, spoke about exhaustion and uncertainty over the team's direction under an interim manager. A coach serving on an interim basis is temporarily in charge, which can leave players unsure about future plans and expectations.
Hwang described those difficulties in his interview:
It's physically exhausting and mentally exhausting. The manager is also an interim manager, so we don't know what the future holds, and it's not easy for the players either.
Hwang also said that, in his ninth year with the national team, change had failed to happen in many areas. He extended his criticism beyond football on the pitch, saying other parts of the team's operation were not working as they should.
The meeting after Uzbekistan
Kim, Hwang In-beom and Hwang Hee-chan, identified as a Schalke 04 player, became the focus of further speculation after South Korea played Uzbekistan in Yongin, Gyeonggi, on October 6. All three were born in 1996.
The players held an extended meeting with Hyun Young-min, head of the KFA Technical Enhancement Committee, that continued past midnight. Reports that they had considered retiring from the national team together increased concern about the depth of their dissatisfaction.
International retirement means a player stops representing his country while potentially continuing to play for his club. Losing three established players at once would affect both squad selection and the experience available to the coach.
Lee told the audit that Hyun had briefed him about the meeting. Asked whether the players had voiced concerns about problems and difficulties in team management, Lee answered, "Yes." He said he had received only a brief account because the discussion was an internal national team matter.
The developments unfolded over less than three weeks:
- October 2: South Korea drew 0-0 with Venezuela in Ulsan. Kim and Hwang publicly expressed frustration afterward.
- October 6: South Korea played Uzbekistan in Yongin. Reports subsequently linked three players born in 1996 to discussions about international retirement.
- October 21: Jeong questioned Lee about the allegations and the association's management at the parliamentary audit.
- October 23: Lee identified this as the starting point for preparations under Moreno for the coming internationals and Asian Cup.
Privacy inside the team, accountability outside it
Lee said Hyun had consulted the coach and that the participants agreed to continue discussing the matter within the national team. He presented privacy as part of the process for resolving disagreements between players and staff.
The acting KFA president explained why he would not describe every detail at the hearing:
Because it was an internal matter involving the national team, I received only a brief report.
Lee said the team would follow the principle that problems arising in the locker room should be resolved there. In this context, the locker room means the private space in which players and coaches discuss performances, responsibilities and disagreements.
Jeong challenged whether that approach was sufficient when disputes kept becoming public. He asked what the association was doing to manage the national team and whether a new coach could repair the leadership problems he described.
The exchange exposed a practical disagreement over responsibility. Lee placed much of the immediate work with the coach and players. Jeong pressed the association to explain its own role in preventing recurring conflict and addressing complaints about how the squad operates.
Why the 2023 dispute matters
Jeong cited earlier disputes during the hearing, including the 2023 social media controversy involving Son and Kim, the confrontation between Son and Lee Kang-in at the 2024 Asian Cup, and disagreements over an interview boycott after the 2026 World Cup in North America.
The 2023 episode has a documented explanation from Kim himself. After a match against Uruguay at Seoul World Cup Stadium, Kim said he was mentally tired and wanted to focus on his club at the time, Napoli, rather than the national team.
Son subsequently posted that representing the country was a source of pride and honor. Kim interpreted the post as a response to his interview and unfollowed Son on social media.
In an apology through his agency in April 2023, Kim said he had misunderstood the captain's intentions. He explained:
It was my mistake. I am sorry. Son always uploads a similar post after a national team meeting, but I had misunderstood his action thinking of my interview on the previous day and did something irrational.
Kim said he had contacted Son directly to apologize, and the two resumed following each other. He also rejected rumors that he was leading a faction of teammates born in 1996, calling them "entirely not true and very perplexing."
That earlier response is relevant because the same grouping by birth year has reappeared in the latest controversy. In 2023, Kim publicly explained his own conduct and rejected the faction allegation. At the October audit, Lee kept the recent discussions private.
What the KFA says it will do next
Lee said some stories circulating about the national team differed from events inside the squad and were sustaining unnecessary controversy. He expected Moreno to work through problems by managing relationships with the players.
The acting president also acknowledged limits to the association's direct involvement in individual disputes. He said it was difficult for the KFA to instruct players on every issue between them.
Lee nevertheless promised a response from the association:
But the association will not simply stand by; we will come up with various ways to manage the team effectively.
The immediate schedule gives the dispute a sporting consequence. South Korea has two November internationals before the Asian Cup opens in January. Moreno must prepare the team while addressing complaints about shared effort, uncertainty and management.
Those tasks involve different parts of the football structure. The coach directs play and manages relationships within the squad. The association oversees the conditions in which the coach and players work. The hearing put pressure on both levels to respond before the next fixtures.
Key Points
- At an October 21 parliamentary audit, Jeong Yeon-wook raised allegations of strained relations involving captain Son Heung-min.
- Acting KFA president Lee Yong-soo acknowledged that players had complained about national team management.
- Kim Min-jae and Hwang In-beom publicly expressed frustration after the October 2 draw with Venezuela.
- Kim, Hwang In-beom and Hwang Hee-chan held a lengthy meeting with a KFA official after the October 6 Uzbekistan match.
- Lee declined to disclose the private discussions and promised measures to strengthen team unity.
- South Korea is preparing under interim coach Roberto Moreno for two November internationals and the Asian Cup in January.
