South Korea's preparations for their World Cup match against Mexico have been overshadowed by a conflict between players and domestic media, following insulting remarks directed at captain Son Heung-min.
The dispute is said to have led to the resignation of a team communications staff member on Tuesday. The Korea Football Association has not confirmed the resignation, which was reported by several media outlets covering the team in Guadalajara.
Press access appears to have been cut off after the comments against Son were captured on camera. The players are said to have not spoken to South Korean media outside official World Cup commitments, and scheduled interviews have been canceled.
Mexican media reported that a meeting took place between team communications staff and the Korean press to discuss the incident. No schedule for press access was provided on Tuesday. The pre-match news conference is scheduled for Wednesday.
The Korea Football Association expressed regret over "inappropriate statements from some media staff during the national team's training session at the Guadalajara training camp." The organization added that these comments caused "great shock and disappointment" within the team.
The incident occurred during an open training session on June 7, days before South Korea defeated Czech Republic 2-1 in their first World Cup match. Son, 33, was running with teammates when some media staff taunted him about his military service record, as captured on footage by JTBC, the official broadcast rights holder for the tournament in South Korea. The video was later leaked, sparking a strong backlash on social media.
For helping South Korea win gold at the 2018 Asian Games, Son was exempted from the mandatory 21-month military service. He later completed alternative duties, including a three-week military training course in 2020 and community service.
The association stated in a Monday announcement that it "will continue to prioritize protecting the team and strive to create a healthy media environment." Son, who left Tottenham for Los Angeles FC a year ago, missed opportunities in the win over Czech Republic, with Hwang In-beom and Oh Hyeon-gyu scoring in Guadalajara.
South Korea will next play on Thursday against Mexico in Group A in Guadalajara.
