A Mystery: Seo Jae-min Ignored by Lee Min-seong Despite Strong Performances Against Jeonbuk and Ulsan, Yet Excluded from Asian Games Roster

*This content was translated by AI.

Incheon United's key midfielder Seo Jae-min (23) was in top form once again. Following his outstanding performance against Jeonbuk Daejeon, he delivered another commanding display against Ulsan HD, anchoring the team to back-to-back victories. The disappointment of missing out on the final roster for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya (Japan) Asian Games men's football tournament lingers all the more deeply because of this.

On the 21st, Seo Jae-min started and played the full 90 minutes in Incheon United's away match against Ulsan HD in Round 19 of the Hana Bank K League 1 2026 at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium — as expected. This marks an impressive streak of 19 consecutive matches where he started and played the full game since the season opener. Considering the central midfield position demands exceptional physical endurance, this record is even more remarkable.

It wasn't just about playing time. In the first half around the 40th minute, Seo Jae-min played a crucial role in creating Incheon's precious opening goal. From near the halfway line, he delivered a precise long pass to Kim Sung-min, who was advancing down the right flank. Kim's low cross was finished by Ferrier, breaking the 0-0 deadlock. Beyond this moment, Seo Jae-min contributed significantly with immense work rate on both offense and defense, helping secure a 2-1 victory. Even as the final whistle blew, Seo Jae-min remained on the pitch.

Just three days earlier, in a home match against Jeonbuk, he covered an astonishing 11.983 kilometers while dominating the field with his dynamic performances. In fact, Seo Jae-min ranked first among all runners in Round 18's Best Runner list — meaning he ran the most distance of any player across the entire K League 1 that round. Yet, even in the Ulsan match held just three days later, he continued to assert his presence. Notably, throughout the opening rounds of the season, he has never dropped outside the top six in running distance rankings.

Moreover, Seo Jae-min also led the decisive goal in the Jeonbuk match. He boldly advanced into the opponent's penalty area and took a shot, which was saved by the opposing goalkeeper. The rebound was then converted by Jersono to seal the winning goal. At the time, Incheon manager Yoon Jung-hwan praised him: "(Seo Jae-min) reached the final third and even took a shot because of his strong desire to win." He added, "Our football is gradually maturing. (Seo) Jae-min demonstrated exactly that kind of spirit."

Despite delivering excellent performances throughout this season — including against two powerhouse teams representing K League — Seo Jae-min could not participate in this year's Asian Games. He was omitted from the final roster selected by coach Lee Min-seong. Many players, including Son Jung-beom (19), who has established himself as a key figure for top-ranked FC Seoul and performed well in K League this season, were overlooked by Coach Lee. Among them, Seo Jae-min's exclusion remains particularly mysterious among K League fans. Notably, being born in 2003, he is exactly the right age to compete in the U23 men's national team for the Asian Games.

When announcing the roster earlier, Coach Lee Min-seong stated through the Korea Football Association: "We competed with our utmost effort until the very end, and I want to express my apologies to those players who were not included." He further explained, "After conducting two training camps following the AFC Asian Cup, we re-evaluated each player's condition and growth. We experimented with various combinations to focus on improving team organization and tactical completeness. After thoroughly reviewing all these processes, we finalized the roster with the most competitive players in this age group who can deliver peak performance in a short-term tournament format." In Coach Lee Min-seong's plan aimed at achieving the best possible results, Seo Jae-min was not included.

Shortly after the final Asian Games roster announcement, on the 12th, Seo Jae-min told StarNews: "I worked extremely hard during the preparation process, so I don't feel regret or disappointment about missing out. If I continue to work hard for my team, better opportunities will surely come." He spoke calmly despite the setback. He added, "Of course, the Asian Games is a crucial tournament tied to military service exemption (a significant benefit), and it was another goal for me. However, I haven't played football solely for the Asian Games. I have bigger dreams ahead. Since missing the roster has already happened, if I prepare diligently again, better results will follow."

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*This content was translated by AI.