A new claim has emerged over why Son Heung-min and Lee Jae-sung were left out of South Korea's starting lineup in the Group A third match against South Africa at the 2026 North America World Cup.
Jin Jong-oh, a People Power Party lawmaker on the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, said Tuesday he had received tip-offs that there was "discord" within the squad ahead of the South Africa match.
"According to multiple key insiders who are well acquainted with the team's situation, there was discord within the squad before the South Africa game," Jin said in an interview with JoongAng Ilbo and other outlets that day.
According to Jin, after a private conversation among some journalists mocking Son's military service exemption was made public, the players decided to boycott media interviews following the Czech Republic match. After the Mexico game, however, head coach Hong Myung-bo ordered the team to resume interviews. Some younger players complied, triggering a clash with Son and Lee, who wanted to maintain the boycott. In Lee's case, Jin said, he had been required to undergo a doping test and was therefore unable to give interviews anyway.
Jin said this conflict was "the reason Son Heung-min and Lee Jae-sung were left out against South Africa."
If the informants' account is accurate, it would contradict the explanation Hong gave at a post-match press conference after the South Africa game.
At the time, after the team's poor performance against South Africa, Hong told reporters: "I don't think there was any problem whatsoever within the squad."
The Korea Football Association denied Jin's claim. "It is true that we coordinated with the squad through a meeting to resume interviews," the association said, "but it is not true that Son Heung-min and Lee Jae-sung were left out of the starting lineup because of this situation."
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has announced a special audit of the football association's overall operations and said it plans to form an investigative committee that will include outside experts. The coaching appointment process, association administration and overall national team management are all expected to fall within the probe's scope. Investigators are also likely to examine whether there were genuine problems in how the squad was managed.
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