The South Korean national team have decided to sever ties with the country’s press following the leak of an audio in which several journalists mocked their Tottenham Legend Heung-min Son, culminating in a player-led media blackout and the high-profile resignation of the press delegation’s leader.

The friction traces back to an open training session where a “hot microphone” inadvertently captured domestic journalists making derogatory and mocking remarks about team captain Son Heung-min.

As the Tottenham Hotspur forward ran slightly separated from the main group—a standard pacing exercise for the veteran leader—reporters were heard ridiculing his mandatory military service exemption.

“He didn’t even properly serve in the military,” one reporter remarked, scoffing at Son’s three-week basic training stint.

The audio leaked onto social media, sparking immediate international outrage.

The team’s response was immediate: total silence. After the victory against the Czech Republic 🇨🇿, Son ignored all inquiries in the mixed zone, politely declined to conduct interviews, offering only a brief courtesy greeting before walking past, while the federation canceled the individual interviews that had already been scheduled.

On Monday, June 15 (Korean time), the KFA released an official statement via its communication channels, expressing deep regret over the “inappropriate and disrespectful language” used by certain media personnel. The statement noted that the remarks had dealt a “severe shock and disappointment” to the squad and demanded a “responsible attitude” and “mutual respect” from the press moving forward.

The fracture between the national team and the South Korean press appears to be at its most critical point.

As South Korea prepares for a crucial encounter against co-hosts Mexico on June 19, the squad has drawn a firm line in the sand.