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Hwang In-Beom speaks out on national team infighting
"Everyone has to work together"
The South Korean national soccer team, led by interim head coach Hwang Sun-hong, drew 1-1 with Thailand in their third match of the FIFA Confederations Cup 2026 North and Central America second qualifying round in Asia at the Seoul World Cup Stadium at 8 p.m. on Tuesday. South Korea took the lead in the 40th minute through Son Heung-min, but Thailand equalized in the second half.
When Hwang In-beom met with the media after the disappointing draw, he was asked about the mood of the team. "There have been a lot of things that have happened, but I think the players and everyone are trying to put those things together now. It shouldn't be just the players. Everyone should work together and prepare for Korean soccer to go in a better direction."
"If we can solve these problems well, I think in the future, these things will be memories, not regrets, and I hope we can become a national team and Korean soccer that can do that," he said.
The South Korean national soccer team has been shaky of late. South Korea was favored to win the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar in January, but Jürgen Klinsmann's side struggled throughout the tournament. They were looking to win their first Asian Cup title in 64 years, but ultimately fell short in the final to Jordan.
After the tournament, it was revealed that there was infighting within the national team, which shocked soccer fans. The Sun, a British media outlet, reported that "the South Korean national team was involved in an argument between Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in before the game against Jordan. The players, including Lee Kang-in, went to play table tennis after dinner, where Son Heung-min tried to discourage them from playing. In the process, the players clashed, and Heung-min suffered a dislocated finger.
Immediately, criticism poured in for Lee. Lee was once touted as the future of Korean soccer, but his image was quickly tarnished. Lee flew to England to apologize to Son Heung-min and posted an official apology on social media.
Nevertheless, the criticism of the national team was not going to go away. Hwang In-beom was aware of this and vowed to work with his teammates to resolve the problems within the national team.