Director Lee Min-sung, Hwang Jae-yoon's 'warning letter' adamant about SNS controversy... "Bad behavior as a professional player"

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Min-sung (53), head coach of South Korea's U-23 national team, pointed out Hwang Jae-yoon (23, Suwon FC)'s social media controversy as "a bad behavior as a professional player."

Lee Min-sung sought to win the 2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-23 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia for the first time in six years, but finished fourth.

After a 0-0 draw with Iran in Group C, they came from behind to beat Lebanon 4-2 in the second, but lost 0-2 in the third against Uzbekistan, a team of two-year-olds. South Korea, which reached the tournament as second in the group with 1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss (4 points), seemed to be on the rise as it beat Australia 2-1 in the quarterfinals, but lost 0-1 against Japan, two years younger in the semifinals. Then, in the 3rd and 4th place match, he lost to coach Kim Sang-sik's Vietnam, which was considered a lower level, after a penalty shootout, and finished the competition in 4th place.

Amid criticism from fans over the below-expected performance, Hwang Jae-yoon (Suwon FC), who played as the goalkeeper for the penalty shootout against Vietnam, posted on his SNS raised the anger of fans.

Hwang Jae-yoon said, "I didn't get any instructions from the coach and coach. It's my complete fault. I will humbly accept everything you say." As a result, fans accepted it as meaning that there was no preparation for the penalty shootout at all.

When the controversy arose, Hwang Jae-yoon explained, "The meaning that there was no order was that the choice of the penalty shootout direction was my choice," but the fans' anger did not disappear.

Director Lee Min-sung did not sit idly by Hwang Jae-yoon's actions. Coach Lee Min-sung, who returned home with the team through Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 the previous afternoon, said when asked about Hwang Jae-yoon, "Hwang Jae-yoon's SNS response is a bad behavior as a professional player. He pointed out that the best way is to apologize and shake off the part to apologize, and now concentrate on your own exercise."

Regarding the controversy that there was no order for a penalty shootout, he said, "In a penalty shootout situation, the goalkeeper is usually given a choice. The coaching staff explained, "We don't coach the goalkeeper to throw himself in a specific direction in a penalty situation."

Attention is focusing on whether Lee Min-sung, who disappointed fans with his disappointing performance and unnecessary outdoor noise, will trust him again after overcoming the sluggishness and controversy of the tournament.

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*This content was translated by AI.