The South Korean national football team collectively refused to give interviews or engage with domestic media after a leaked audio clip revealed a South Korean reporter secretly mocking the famous team captain Son Heung-min regarding his military service exemption prior to their match against Mexico. The Korea Football Association (KFA) issued a strong statement expressing severe disappointment over this unethical behavior.
The South Korean players jointly announced a boycott and refused to officially interview the media before their crucial match against Mexico, due to deep dissatisfaction with home-country reporters mocking the national service of 33-year-old captain Son Heung-min.
The conflict began during the South Korean national team's training in Guadalajara, when Son Heung-min was doing individual rehabilitation as part of his recovery program. Some reporters forgot to mute their microphones, allowing derogatory and mocking remarks about Son's military exemption to be overheard and recorded. This clip was broadcast and circulated in South Korea, sparking widespread criticism and anger among fans and players alike.
Military service is a highly sensitive issue in South Korean society, where law mandates that all able-bodied men serve approximately 21 months to maintain defense readiness against threats from North Korea. However, exceptions exist for athletes who win medals at the Olympics or gold at the Asian Games. Son Heung-min and his teammates legally received such exemptions after winning gold at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia. Despite this, Son completed a three-week basic military training in 2020 during the Premier League COVID-19 suspension, including live-fire exercises and a 30-kilometer march.
Following the scandal, the Korea Football Association (KFA) issued an official statement expressing deep regret and condemning the conduct of the involved media personnel, stating, "The KFA sincerely apologizes for the inappropriate remarks made by certain media representatives during the national team's training camp in Guadalajara. The players are performing their duties responsibly as national representatives on the global football stage to repay the support and expectations of the public. However, the leakage of inappropriate conversations among some media staff has shocked and deeply disappointed the entire team and staff."
Additionally, the KFA called on news agencies to show empathy and adopt a responsible attitude toward the national team players. The association emphasized that going forward, it will prioritize protecting its players and strive to foster a constructive and appropriate working environment with the media.
The national team's media officers declined to comment further on the duration of the media boycott. However, the refusal to give interviews applies only to domestic media activities. Players and coaching staff will continue to attend press conferences and media events mandated by FIFA according to World Cup competition rules.
Under coach Hong Myung-bo, the South Korean team performed excellently in their opening Group A match, defeating the Czech Republic 2-1 with goals from Hwang In-beom and Oh Hyeon-gyu. They are scheduled to play co-host Mexico on 19 June in Guadalajara, followed by a final group match against South Africa on 25 June in Monterrey.
Son Heung-min, the top scorer and most capped player in this squad, is playing in his fourth World Cup. Before the tournament, he expressed pride in representing his country, saying, "I am very happy to be back on the World Cup stage, something I have dreamed of since childhood. Whether this is my first, fourth, or sixth World Cup, our mindset and spirit to play for our country remain unchanged."