
Korea Herald
Son Heung-min, Lee Jae-sung benched vs South Africa over interview boycott row: lawmaker
The Korea Herald
July 2, 2026
04:53 AM
South Korea captain Son Heung-min and veteran midfielder Lee Jae-sung were left out of the starting lineup for the team's final World Cup group-stage match against South Africa over internal disagreements about an interview boycott, a lawmaker claimed, citing a whistleblower report. Rep. Jin Jong-oh of the main opposition People Power Party said Thursday that the report, received through the Korea Football Association, alleges divisions within the squad deepened over whether to continue a media
