"Calling Son Heung-min 'That Person'": "Too Uncomfortable to Even Say His Name?" Shocking Discord Rumors

The recent discord rumors within the South Korean national football team involving captain Son Heung-min and the so-called "'96 liners"—Kim Min-jae, Hwang In-beom, and Hwang Hee-chan—have formally surfaced at the National Assembly's parliamentary audit.

Representative Jeong Yeon-wook of the People Power Party directly addressed the issue with Lee Yong-soo, the acting president of the Korea Football Association (KFA).

[(Jeong Yeon-wook, People Power Party lawmaker: "As you may know, Vice President, national team players have recently been calling someone 'No. 7.' Do you know who this is?" Lee Yong-soo, acting president of the Korea Football Association: "Player Son Heung-min." Jeong: "Is Son Heung-min No. 7?")]

Jeong directly questioned whether teamwork had deteriorated to the point where junior players felt too uncomfortable to even mention their captain's name.

He also played video footage of media interviews given by the "'96 liners" immediately following the national team's 0-0 draw against Venezuela on October 2.

In the video, Kim Min-jae voiced frustration, saying, "I felt sorry for the defenders. If we want to raise the team's level, we all need to put our heads down and work hard." Hwang In-beom also remarked, "It's tough both physically and mentally. The manager is also an interim coach, so we don't know what the future holds, and it's not easy for the players either."

Afterward, these players and other squad members born in 1996, including Hwang Hee-chan, held an all-night meeting with the KFA, and remarks even surfaced suggesting that they were "considering joint retirement."

When Representative Jeong asked, "Is it true that the players complained about problems in the national team's management?" Acting President Lee replied, "Yes, that is true," but avoided directly answering whether the junior players had rebelled against Son.

[(Jeong Yeon-wook, People Power Party lawmaker: "Didn't some players from the so-called '96 line raise issues regarding Son Heung-min's captaincy, and hasn't this been building up continuously?" Lee Yong-soo, acting president of the Korea Football Association: "I'm sorry, but regarding that matter, it is a bit difficult for me to answer... I apologize.")]

Acting President Lee added that the KFA expects Manager Robert Moreno to resolve the issue as he manages relationships within the squad.

Representative Jeong pointed out, "I have fundamental doubts about why conflicts keep recurring in the national team and whether any manager can fix the situation when the team's leadership has collapsed."

In response, Acting President Lee admitted, "To be frank, it is not easy for the football association to instruct or interfere with player issues within the national team on a granular level."

Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Kim Kihyun | Design by Yook Do-hyun | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.