The Korea Football Association (KFA) has urged the public to refrain from reckless speculation and personal attacks circulating online against national team players amid recent rumors of internal discord.

Meanwhile, representatives for Lee Kang-in (Atlético Madrid) dismissed claims linking him to the conflicts within the national team as "groundless" and warned of legal action.

On the 13th, the KFA released an official statement titled "A Message to Fans Who Love and Support Korean Football."

The KFA stated, "Recently, unverified information and speculative claims regarding South Korean national team players have been spreading, primarily across social media and online communities, accompanied by excessive criticism and personal attacks against certain players." It added, "While we respect diverse opinions and criticism, we express deep concern over situations where players are exposed to intense backlash driven by unverified speculations and malicious slander, and we earnestly ask for restraint."


The association continued, "Fragmentary interpretations of certain training scenes or daily routines are being used to present internal discord within the squad as a fait accompli, alongside the spread of groundless 'stock market rumors' and mocking or defamation of players through deepfake videos." It pointed out, "Furthermore, the level of criticism has crossed the line, with individuals visiting players' personal social media and club accounts to launch personal attacks or demand their removal."

In addition, the KFA warned that it will "take stern legal action against unauthorized use of videos and photos belonging to the KFA intellectual property rights to distribute false and distorted information for unfair gains."

Addressing the rumors of internal discord, the association drew a line, stating, "Players may have different thoughts and opinions, and the process of respecting each other's differences, freely exchanging views, and finding the best direction for the team is a necessary part of building a healthy organization." It emphasized, "Judging the squad based solely on fragmentary interpretations or speculation of this process, and thereby amplifying conflict, should be avoided."

Finally, the association promised, "We take our role and responsibility seriously in providing all necessary support so that the squad can focus entirely on matches," and vowed to "further enhance our support to ensure the players perform at their best."

Meanwhile, The Black Label, Lee Kang-in's management agency, released a statement earlier this morning, saying, "We have confirmed that false information regarding Lee Kang-in has been spreading indiscriminately online recently." It added, "The series of claims currently being raised are unrelated to Lee Kang-in and are completely groundless."

"We are currently gathering data on posts and comments that constitute the spread of false information and defamation," the agency added, noting that "we will proceed with necessary legal procedures depending on the circumstances."

Recently, amid rumors of simultaneous retirement by certain players and leaked discord within the squad during the national team's four consecutive A-matches in September and October, unverified claims that Lee Kang-in was involved in internal team conflicts have circulated widely online.

(Photo courtesy of the Korea Football Association, Yonhap News)