A recent interaction during a training session between Lee Kang-in and Son Heung-min has garnered special attention. In February, Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in were involved in a highly publicized altercation that shook the South Korean sports community. Despite the incident being resolved, the interactions between both players continue to attract significant attention during this current national team training camp. On March 20th, the entire team had their final practice session before the match against the Thai national team on the evening of March 21st.
Due to Kang-in’s separate training regimen upon returning from France, the player had limited opportunities to interact with his senior teammate, Son Heung-min. Nevertheless, the South Korean media captured a valuable moment involving both superstars. During one instance when Kang-in stepped out, Son turned towards his younger counterpart with a cheerful demeanor. This moment led many fans to believe that the discord between the two had officially ended. Some fans also commended Son for his friendliness and generosity.
“Son Heung-min is truly a remarkable individual,” one commentator remarked.
“Son Heung-min’s character is beyond reproach,” another voice added.
On March 20th, Kang-in reiterated his apologies regarding the previous altercation. The 23-year-old player expressed that he had learned valuable lessons from the incident.
“I received a lot of love and attention during the Asian Cup. I apologize for disappointing everyone. I have learned many lessons from this experience. I will strive to not only become a better player but also a better person,” Kang-in stated.
Meanwhile, Son Heung-min also spoke in defense of his younger teammate. “I met Kang-in in England. And during this training camp, we met again. Kang-in sincerely apologized for his actions and mistakes in front of all the players. It takes courage to apologize, and he did it. Everyone accepted his apology. This is an opportunity for the team to come closer together. The team spirit remains strong,” Son remarked.
According to Yonhap, the internal altercation within the South Korean national team occurred on February 6th, just before the semi-final match of the 2023 Asian Cup against Jordan. After dinner, a group of three young players, including Lee Kang-in, wanted to play table tennis.
However, Son Heung-min disagreed, leading to a clash with Lee Kang-in. Some sources revealed that Kang-in punched his senior teammate in the face. In an attempt to intervene, a teammate accidentally injured Son’s hand.
The incident, exposed by The Sun on February 14th, caused a stir in the South Korean sports community. Kang-in faced significant criticism following the incident, even losing endorsements from some brands. Kang-in later apologized to Son as well as other teammates on the national team. Despite this, during this training camp, Coach Hwang Sun-hong decided to summon both Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in. Both players returned to South Korea on March 18th and 19th, respectively.