South Korea players in World Cup media ban after Son criticism sparks backlash
Members of the country’s press were caught making disparaging remarks about Son Heung-min’s military record
South Korea’s preparations for Thursday’s World Cup match against Mexico have been overshadowed by a rift between the players and the country’s media following disparaging comments about captain Son Heung-min.
The spat reportedly led to the resignation of one of the team’s media officers on Tuesday. The national team has yet to confirm the resignation, which has been reported by some of the media covering the South Korean squad in Guadalajara.
Access for the media had apparently been cut off after the comments against Son were caught on camera. Players reportedly refrained from speaking to South Korean media outside official World Cup commitments, and scheduled interviews with players were cancelled.
Mexican media said there was a meeting between the team’s media officers and the South Korean media to discuss the incident.
There was no media access scheduled on Tuesday. The pre-match news conference is scheduled for Wednesday.
The South Korean football association said it regretted “the inappropriate remarks made by some media personnel during the national football team’s training at the Guadalajara base camp”. The organisation added the comments caused “great shock and disappointment” within the squad.