In February, Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in had a fight that shocked the Korean sports industry. Although the incident has been reconciled, the two’s interactions still receive special attention during this gathering of the Korean team. On March 20, the whole team had their last practice session before the match against Thailand on the evening of March 21.
Because Kang-in had to practice separately because he had just returned from France, this player did not have many opportunities to interact with his senior Son Heung-min. However, Korean media still caught an expensive moment related to these two superstars. Accordingly, in a situation where Kang-in stepped out, Son turned to his junior and married very happily. This moment helps many fans believe that the two’s conflict has officially ended. Some fans also praised Son for his friendliness and generosity.
“Son Heung-min is such a wonderful person,” one person commented.
“Son Heung-min’s personality is something we don’t have to discuss,” another account said.
On March 20, Kang-in continued to apologize regarding the previous scandal. The 23-year-old player said he had learned a lesson from the incident.
“I received a lot of love and attention at the Asian Cup. I’m sorry for disappointing everyone. I’ve learned many lessons for myself. I will try to be more than just a player. A good player but also a good person”, Kang-in said.
Meanwhile, Son Heung-min also spoke up to defend his junior, “I met Kang-in in England. And this gathering, we met again. Kang-in sincerely apologized for his his actions and mistakes in front of all the players. We need courage to say sorry and he did it. Everyone accepted his apology. This is the opportunity The festival brings the whole team closer together. The team’s atmosphere is still good,” Son said.
According to Yonhap, the scuffle within the Korean team took place on February 6, before the 2023 Asian Cup semi-final match with Jordan. After dinner time, a group of three young players, including Lee Kang-in, wanted to go play table tennis.
However, Son Heung-min disagreed and led to a collision with Lee Kang-in. Some sources revealed that Kang-in swung his fist and punched the man in the face. In an attempt to intervene, a teammate accidentally injured Son’s hand.
The incident was exposed by The Sun newspaper on February 14, shocking the Korean sports industry. Kang-in received a lot of criticism after the incident, even being turned away by some brands. Kang-in later apologized to Son as well as other teammates at the team. During this gathering, coach Hwang Sun-hong still decided to summon Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in. Both returned to Korea on March 18 and 19, respectively.
