Nonsensical 'Son Heung-min ostracism controversy' → Lee Kang-in's unjust suffering, following Seol Yeong-woo, 'again'... National team players' history of abuse from malicious comments continues

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The issue of indiscriminate malicious comments and excessive personal attacks against South Korea national football team players continues unabated. Following the legal action declared by the side of defender Seol Yeong-woo (Augsburg) against malicious commenters during the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) North and Central America World Cup in June, the camp of key midfielder Lee Kang-in (Atletico Madrid) has also announced firm legal measures against unverified rumors and personal attacks.

Double Black Label, which handles Lee Kang-in's management, released a statement titled "Official Statement Regarding Player Lee Kang-in" through its official social media service (SNS) on the 13th, announcing its policy to respond strictly to the spread of false information and defamation.

In the statement, Double Black Label said, "First, we would like to express our gratitude to everyone who cares for and supports South Korean football," adding, "We have confirmed that content contrary to the facts regarding player Lee Kang-in has been indiscriminately spreading, primarily centered around the online community OnLine."

The company further drew a clear line by stating, "The series of contents currently being discussed are unrelated to player Lee Kang-in, and we clearly state that they are baseless."

The agency added, "We are collecting materials regarding posts and comments that constitute the spread of false information and defamation. We will proceed with necessary legal procedures depending on the circumstances. We deeply appreciate the consistent interest and love shown to player Lee Kang-in. We will do our best to protect the player."

Recently, baseless rumors such as the simultaneous retirement of '96-born LINE' players within the team and the formation of factions have spread through the OnLine community and some YouTube channels. In this process, unfounded speculation that Lee Kang-in formed a specific faction or was involved in ostracizing captain Son Heung-min (LAFC) spread indiscriminately. Some netizens arbitrarily edited national team training videos to raise suspicions, while others flocked to Lee Kang-in's personal SNS to launch excessive behavior including personal attacks and character criticism unrelated to his performance on the field, as well as demands for his expulsion from the national team.

Malicious comment terror against national team players wearing the taegeuk mark is not a first-time occurrence. During the group stage of the North and Central America World Cup in June, starting defender Seol Yeong-woo was also targeted. At that time, after South Korea lost 0-1 to South Africa in their third group stage match, failing to advance to the Round of 32 on their own merit, Seol Yeong-woo's SNS was flooded with malicious comments wishing him injury and even criticism directed at his family.

In response, Seol Yeong-woo's side also declared legal action without leniency, stating that "abusive language, personal attacks, defamation, and the spread of false information that go beyond the scope of healthy criticism cannot be justified under any circumstances."

The excessive harsh criticism was a critical issue. Seol Yeong-woo himself showed a mature attitude during an on-site interview, stating that he would accept the critical public opinion confidently as a professional player. Seol Yeong-woo said, "It is natural for many people to voice their opinions because my performance has not been good," adding, "Just as players receive praise when they show good form, they must be prepared to receive criticism commensurate with poor performance. I am the type of person who does not worry too much about such things. The only way is to repay the fans by showing good form again."

As baseless rumor creation and indiscriminate personal attacks that go beyond criticism of performance have repeatedly occurred before and after major international tournaments and A-matches, voices are growing for strict measures to prevent mental damage and morale decline among national team players.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original