"Unity Possible Through Table Tennis... What Son Heung-min Paid," Chinese Media's Absurd Defense of Lee Kang-in

Son Heung-min (Tottenham), captain of the South Korean national football team, reportedly fractured his finger after a dispute with junior players including Lee Kang-in ahead of the Asian Cup semifinals. Amid this, a Chinese media outlet criticized Son Heung-min's attitude. On the 14th, Chinese media site Sohu.com cited a report from the British publication The Sun, stating, "The reason for the South Korean team's defeat in the semifinals was a decline in team cohesion caused by internal conflicts before the match."

The British tabloid The Sun reported on the 14th (Korean time) that Son Heung-min dislocated his finger during an argument with juniors the evening before the Asian Cup semifinal.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

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They added, "Experiencing internal strife right before a match was a mistake that should never have happened." Furthermore, "As Lee Kang-in said, team cohesion can also be strengthened through activities like table tennis. Simply eating together does not improve relationships. Son Heung-min's behavior ultimately came at a cost. It was unbefitting of a veteran," criticizing Son Heung-min instead.

Earlier, The Sun reported on the 13th, "In the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup semifinals, South Korea suffered a shocking defeat," and "Son Heung-min sustained a finger dislocation injury after a physical altercation with a teammate the day before the team's elimination from the Asian Cup." Indeed, Son Heung-min appeared with his finger bandaged during the semifinal match against Jordan on the 7th (0-2 loss) and also showed the same condition during the English Premier League (EPL) home match against Brighton on the 11th.

The Sun attributed the cause of Son Heung-min's finger injury to internal conflict with Lee Kang-in. Following this report, Lee Kang-in posted on social networking services (SNS), "There was an article reporting that I had an argument with hyung Son Heung-min ahead of the Asian Cup semifinals," and said, "I deeply apologize for disappointing the football fans who always support our national team." He continued, "I should have taken the lead in following the seniors' words well, but I am only sorry for showing an unfavorable image to football fans," and wrote, "I apologize to many who were disappointed in me."

A representative from the Korea Football Association (KFA) stated, "It is true that there was a dispute among some players during the tournament," but added, "It did not escalate to a physical level of conflict. Son Heung-min injured his finger while pushing away a player."

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