Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in, Klinsmann, and Chung Mong-gyu

Where will the end of this muddy fight be? After the 2023 Asian Cup, the Korean football scene has been filled with noise. Among them, the stories related to the dismissal of coach Klinsmann and the conflict between Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in have been continuously reported. At this point, coach Klinsmann has recently been dismissed. The Klinsmann issue has been settled for now, but the conflict between Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in continued. This also seems to be resolved now.

On February 21st, today's date, Lee Kang-in posted an apology on his Instagram, not as a story but as a post. A few days ago, Lee Kang-in posted a short apology on his Instagram story, but since stories are a system that can't be viewed after 48 hours, he faced public backlash. The public's anger was that if he was going to apologize, he should do it properly. Lee Kang-in released a press release through his legal representative and finally posted a genuine apology today.

Following this, a photo of Lee Kang-in and Son Heung-min together was uploaded to Son Heung-min's Instagram. And he posted a message defending Lee Kang-in and apologizing to Korean football fans. In the end, Lee Kang-in reportedly personally visited London, where Son Heung-min resides, to apologize, and also contacted other national team players to apologize. Thus, Lee Kang-in's 'trouble' has come to an end to some extent. This is the extent of the facts as of now.

Son Heung-min

Son Heung-min is like a hero to Korean football and the Korean people right now. He is a player who has achieved tremendous success in the English Premier League, which is considered very difficult, including becoming the top scorer and winning the Puskas Award. Despite his arduous efforts, he travels from England to Korea to participate in international matches. He plays full time for 90 minutes every time. He leads the players as captain and takes good care of each individual. He also motivates them well.

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However, even Son Heung-min has shown shortcomings in the past. During national team matches, when he was unable to play the full 90 minutes and had to be substituted, he expressed his anger by throwing a towel onto the bench in frustration. He has also been sent off in the league for unnecessary kicks. He also caused a severe injury to Andre Gomes with a rough tackle. It's a very different image from the Son Heung-min we knew.

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Now, as a captain, it is said that his position has shaped him, and he displays decorum. He also demonstrates a strong sense of responsibility. Sometimes, he even shows flexible leadership. Son Heung-min is now 32 years old, entering the twilight of his football career, so it can be said that he has a wealth of experience. Therefore, he can now manage his emotions as a player. He has matured. It's fortunate that such a mature Son Heung-min accepted Lee Kang-in's apology and protected Lee Kang-in, who is, after all, the future of Korean football. This scene also showcases Son Heung-min's class.

Lee Kang-in

Lee Kang-in moved to Spain at a young age and grew up as a football player and as a person. He is still young. When Lee Kang-in played in Spain, he received several red cards and displayed aggressive tackles. The feedback from players who played alongside Lee Kang-in in the national team was that he 'sometimes crosses the line,' indicating that he exhibited behavior that did not align with Korean sensibilities.

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I'm not trying to protect Lee Kang-in. I believe that because he is young and grew up abroad, he may not exhibit a strong sense of hierarchy. When I was young, I also intentionally tripped those who were better at football than me and older. I was just so annoyed. And I ignored my seniors and went straight home. Even if we were on the same team, there were times when I couldn't manage my emotions in the moment.

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Now that he has sincerely apologized, we need to forgive him. I understand the Korean public's emotions and anger. In a way, wasn't he the one who ruined Son Heung-min's potentially last Asian Cup? However, we have seen Lee Kang-in's potential through various matches in the past. Didn't Korea cheer for Lee Kang-in during the World Cup? This is how players grow.

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The finale of Lee Kang-in's apology is for him to be called up to the national team in March, come to Korea to apologize to the public, and approach each of the team members he was with and apologize. And to score a goal in the match and perform a celebratory gesture conveying his apology to the football fans. In that way, he can grow as a Korean football player with humility.

Klinsmann

First of all, it's a relief that he was dismissed. If a coach shows irresponsibility, then he deserves to be dismissed without question. Does it make sense for a coach to provide feedback on the Asian Cup performance via video call from the US? Even if we have experienced COVID-19 and are accustomed to video conferencing, it's still unacceptable.

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Is it appropriate for a coach to say that the Asian Cup semi-final result was due to conflicts among players? What if he had said it was his responsibility for not properly managing the team? Even if he had been dismissed, what if he had apologized and expressed his regret?

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It's truly embarrassing... Because of the coach, the players are being blamed. The players trained and played their best for the country. They overcame mental hurdles and played despite their own injuries. What is the captain doing hiding behind the crew? Yes, thank you. Thank you for showing us exactly what a leader who lacks leadership and responsibility looks like.

Chung Mong-gyu

So what are you doing? Various suspicions are surfacing, but you continue to run away. Many football journalists and content creators are demanding a genuine explanation and apology from Chung Mong-gyu. The players are being scapegoated due to your choice of Klinsmann. What crime did the young players commit? Shouldn't you, as an adult, protect and shield them?

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What areas are you improving as the president of the Korea Football Association, and why is the Korean football system still like this? Why did Son Heung-min's father, Son Woong-jung, say that Korea shouldn't win this Asian Cup? I don't know what you are observing and what policies you are implementing as the president of the football association.

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For the past few years, I have argued that Korean football should be eliminated from the World Cup. I even said that it should not qualify for the World Cup. I believe that only then will they truly examine the system from the bottom up and try to improve the problems and change the culture. Why are we so obsessed with results, and while we said we would introduce an advanced football system, what has changed? Many players are going to European football, but why is there still a lot of opinion that Korean football needs to develop? If the football association is looking into this, I would like them to properly publicize how and what they are looking into.

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The Korea Football Association is currently discussing the appointment of a national team manager. The national team has a home match against Thailand on March 21st and an away match on March 26th for the 2026 North and Central America World Cup Asian qualifying round 2. I hope to see the unified appearance of the next manager, the reconciled Lee Kang-in and Son Heung-min, and the rest of the team in these upcoming international matches.