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The South Korea national team are reportedly boycotting domestic media in silence following the leak of an audio recording containing remarks directed at captain Son Heung-min.
The controversy started in an open training session held at the team's base camp in Guadalajara, Mexico, on June 7, five days before South Korea's 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic in their 2026 World Cup Group A opener.
During a live broadcast of the session by South Korean network JTBC, microphones picked up a conversation between individuals, believed to be local reporters, making mocking comments about the star forward's exemption from mandatory military service.
The leaked audio quickly went viral on social media, sparking outrage among fans globally and prompting the squad to take action.
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South Korean captain Son Heung-min (number 7) celebrates with Hwang In-beom (number 6) after the equalizer in their side's 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic at the World Cup in Zapopan Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, on June 11, 2026. Photo by AP |
Silent boycott
Following their victory against the Czech Republic, Son refused to take interviews in the mixed zone, offering only a brief greeting to the reporters before walking away. This was unusual for the 33-year-old, who is widely known as a role model in media cooperation regardless of match results, OneFootball reported.
The media blackout became more apparent in the days following the match. On June 14, a scheduled pre-training interview with midfielder Hwang In-beom, who scored the opening goal against the Czech Republic, was cancelled. While the official reason cited was a "scheduling conflict," internal sources indicated it was an act of solidarity, showing support with the captain.
Later on, a domestic newspaper was forced to retract a previous interview with midfielder Lee Dong-gyeong after the Korea Football Association (KFA) stated it had been conducted without their approval.
The KFA officially addressed the situation on June 15, expressing deep regret over the inappropriate remarks made by reporters, which caused "great shock and disappointment" to the team, Korea Times reported.
While emphasizing respect for the role of the press, the association firmly stated that it "will continue to prioritize the protection of the squad and strive to create a healthy media environment."
The fallout reportedly led to the resignation of the head of the South Korean World Cup press delegation, who accepted full responsibility for the reporters' misconduct. During a heated meeting between the KFA's media team and domestic journalists at their headquarters in Mexico, all foreign reporters, including ESPN Mexico's Jesus Bernal, were asked to leave the room.
Looking ahead to Mexico
Despite the distractions off the pitch, the incident appears to have united the squad even more. It was evident during their hard-fought 2-1 win over the Czech Republic, when striker Oh Hyeon-gyu ran to Son and bowed after scoring the 80th-minute winner. During a recent day off, Son also treated his teammates to local Mexican tacos in a team-building effort.
South Korea will next face co-hosts Mexico in Guadalajara on June 18. A second victory would secure Hong Myung-bo's side a place in the knockout stage.
Military service is mandatory for all South Korean men. However, athletes can earn exemptions by achieving significant international success for the country. Son earned his exemption after leading the South Korean U23 team to a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.
Despite the exemption, the forward still fulfilled his alternative duties, completing a three-week basic military training course with the Marine Corps on Jeju Island in 2020, along with hundreds of hours of community service.
