[2026 Parliamentary Audit] Lee Yongsu: "Some Players Voiced Difficulties With National Team Management... Avoid Unnecessary Controversy"

'96 Line' retirement rumors reignite at parliamentary audit: "I received only a brief briefing"
"Locker-room issues should be resolved in the locker room... We will take steps to strengthen team unity"

Lee Yongsu, acting president of the Korea Football Association, said that unnecessary controversy was continuing over recent reports of internal discord within the national soccer team, while acknowledging that some players had indeed voiced concerns about problems and difficulties in the team’s management.

Lee made the remarks on October 21 during a parliamentary audit by the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, in response to a question from Rep. Jeong Yeon-wook of the People Power Party about reports of internal discord within the national team.

Jeong said there had been reports that some national team players called captain Son Heung-min “No. 7,” his jersey number, or “that person” instead of using his name, and suggested there might be problems among the players. He also cited Kim Min-jae and Hwang In-beom’s recent public expression of concerns and difficulties regarding the state of the national team after an A match, and showed video footage related to the matter. In the video, Kim said after a game that “it doesn’t feel like we’re fighting,” suggesting that the players needed to play more aggressively. Hwang also spoke of the difficulties facing the team, saying, “My body is tired, and my mind is tired.”

Jeong focused in particular on reports that Kim Min-jae, Hwang In-beom and Hwang Hee-chan, all born in 1996, were considering retiring from the national team together after the match against Uzbekistan on October 6. He also mentioned that Hyun Young-min, head of the Korea Football Association’s Technical Enhancement Committee, held an extended meeting with the three players after the match, continuing past midnight.

Lee Yong-soo, acting president of the Korea Football Association, answers questions from members of the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee during a parliamentary audit of the Korea Sport & Olympic Committee and other organizations on the 21st. He appeared as a witness. Yonhap News Agency

Lee said he had been briefed by Hyun on the meeting. “Because it was an internal matter involving the national team, I received only a brief report,” he said. “Hyun Young-min consulted with the coach, and, to use a soccer expression, we agreed to continue discussing the matter within the team under the principle that ‘what happens in the locker room stays in the locker room.’”

Asked by Jeong whether it was true that the players had voiced concerns about problems and difficulties in the team’s management, even if they had not directly raised the issue of retirement at the time, Lee replied, “Yes.”

Lee, however, declined to disclose specific details about the situation within the team. “I don’t think it would be appropriate to discuss every detail of the players’ issues within the national team here,” he said.

Jeong cited past cases, including the 2023 social media controversy involving Son Heung-min and Kim Min-jae and the clash between Son and Lee Kang-in during the 2024 Asian Cup, and said internal discord within the national team had repeatedly emerged. He also asked whether complaints from the so-called “’96 line” of players had accumulated over the years Son had served as captain.

Lee avoided giving a specific answer. However, regarding the various rumors surrounding the national team, he said, “Stories that differ somewhat from what is actually happening within the team are being repeated, leading to continued unnecessary controversy.” He added, “Rather than allowing such controversy to keep resurfacing, the association hopes the coach will work through matters one by one by managing relationships with the players.”

Lee also said measures would be put in place to strengthen unity within the national team. “Recent match results and the emergence of differing opinions within the team are things we should seek to avoid,” he said. “I hope the team will come together more and make gradual improvements as it prepares for the Asian Cup and its two November A matches under Coach Moreno, starting October 23.”

He also said, “It is not easy for the association to instruct or interfere in the various issues among national team players by telling them, ‘Do this’ or ‘Do that.’” He added, “But the association will not simply stand by; we will come up with various ways to manage the team effectively.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.