'International Humiliation': Son Heung-min National Team Ostracism Rumors Spread to China and Japan, "They Call Him 'Number 7' or 'That Person'..."

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

It is an international embarrassment. Shocking details of internal strife within the South Korean national football team, where captain Son Heung-min (34, LAFC) has allegedly been ostracized and referred to as "Number 7" or "That Person" instead of by his name, were exposed through a National Assembly inspection. Foreign media outlets in China and Japan are now reporting on the matter extensively.

Chinese media outlet Sohu.com reported extensively on the 22nd (Korean time), stating, "Internal discord within the South Korean national team has been exposed. Players are reluctant to call Son Heung-min by his name, referring to him as 'Number 7' or 'That Person.'"

The outlet added, "Son Heung-min is not receiving even the respect he deserves within the national team. Rumors of internal discord and the collapse of teamwork were also key issues addressed during the National Assembly hearing."

Sohu.com further detailed Kim Min-jae's (Bayern Munich) expression of dissatisfaction after the October A-match against Venezuela, in which he stated that individuals should not be highlighted over the team. It also covered the joint retirement rumors involving 1996-born key players such as Kim Min-jae, Hwang In-beom (FC Porto), and Hwang Hee-chan (Schalke 04) that emerged after the Uzbekistan match. The outlet added, "Doubts and complaints are exploding among South Korean fans over whether factions exist within the team. Claims have even been raised that Son Heung-min is being rejected by the team."

Japanese media are also shocked. Japanese football specialist outlet The World focused on the issue, stating, "Suspicions of internal discord within the South Korean national team, where players call Son Heung-min 'Number 7' or 'That Person' instead of his name, have even spread to a National Assembly inspection." It noted that criticism is growing over the Korea Football Association's complacent response.

The outlet further noted, "Conflicts within the national team have surfaced multiple times in the past, including Kim Min-jae's SNS unfollow incident involving Son Heung-min and his clash with Lee Kang-in during the Asian Cup." It added that it is widely observed that dissatisfaction and conflicts between the 1996-born players and the long-standing captaincy of Son Heung-min have continuously accumulated, and that the impact of this internal discord suspicion will spread uncontrollably in the future.

Earlier, at the National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee inspection held on the 21st, People Power Party lawmaker Jung Yeon-wook criticized acting head Lee Yong-soo by asking, "Do you know that recently, among national team players, people are not called by their names but referred to as 'Number 7'?" When the acting head asked back, "Are you referring to player Son Heung-min?", Jeong (Rep.) stated, "It appears to be true that within the squad, there is no name used, and they simply call him 'Number 7' or 'That Person.'" He fired a direct shot, asking, "Does this not mean that internal teamwork has collapsed to the point where even mentioning his name directly is uncomfortable?"

In particular, at the inspection site, it was confirmed that the 1996-born members had gathered separately for late-night interviews following Hwang In-beom's tears immediately after the Uzbekistan match on the 6th. When Jeong (Rep.) pressed whether it was true that he appealed about difficulties and problems in the operation of the Seon Su-deul-i (CEO) team, the acting head replied, "Yes, that is correct," officially acknowledging internal conflicts within the team. This revealed the incompetence of the football association, which had been preoccupied with hiding festering problems behind the locker room door, such as SNS blocking since the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the reversal of hierarchy during the Asian Cup, and interview refusal incidents.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original