Lee Min-sung, South Korea's U-23 Coach: "Sorry for the Criticism Because of Me... We Won Gold Thanks to the Players Who Held On" [Nagoya AG]

[Financial News] Lee Min-sung, head coach of South Korea's under-23 national football team, led the country to an unprecedented fourth consecutive Asian Games football title and gave all the glory to his players. Having faced fierce criticism throughout the tournament over the team's performances, Lee spoke emotionally, saying, "I am sorry to and grateful to the players who suffered because of their coach."
South Korea's under-23 national football team, led by Lee Min-sung, defeated Japan 1-0 in the men's football final of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on the 3rd. Eom Ji-sung of Swansea City scored the winning goal in the 16th minute of the second half.
Lee entered the official post-match press conference and began speaking calmly but candidly.

Lee first expressed his regret to the players. "We won the gold medal in difficult circumstances. I want to say first and foremost that I am sorry to the players," he said. He then bowed his head, adding, "Because of me, their coach, they received little attention and faced criticism. I am truly grateful that they managed to win the gold medal despite all that."
Lee attributed the victory to the players' mental strength in overcoming immense pressure. "We expected the match against Japan to be difficult. The conditions, including the state of the pitch, were very different from those at the stadiums where we had played previously," he said. Looking back, he added, "The players were carrying not only the pressure of the final but also the heavy burden of the mandatory military service issue. Their ability to endure it and hold on until the very end was the driving force behind our victory."

Lee also spoke candidly about the criticism of the team's performances, which began during the preparation process. "What made it difficult was ultimately that I did not do a good enough job," he acknowledged. "Every match felt like a final. I gave it my best, but I received a lot of criticism because our performances were not good." He emphasized, "But at the Asian Games, results are ultimately what matter most. We achieved our goal in our own way, and I am extremely proud of all 23 players who produced that result."
When reporters asked him to name one MVP of the tournament, Lee immediately pointed to overage forward Yang Hyun-jun of Celtic. "Yang Hyun-jun joined the team as a wild-card player but suffered an injury after just one match and could not play any further," he said. "Even though he could not take the field, he quietly devoted himself behind the scenes, encouraging and helping his teammates. That unseen dedication gave the players who played in today's final a decisive boost."

Lee remained measured when asked whether the victory could serve as a turning point for the revival of Korean football, which has recently fallen into a slump. "I cannot discuss Korean football as a whole from this position. Coaches must continue making constant efforts, and the players must show the fans their fighting spirit and continued improvement," he said. He added, "The fact that our team won the gold medal will not immediately bring Korean football completely back to life. However, I hope the key players from this tournament will make the leap to the senior national team and become a strong foundation for Korean football's revival."
After the Nagoya Games, Lee stepped down as head coach of the under-23 national team. He left the press conference to applause from reporters, appearing relieved. Under the Korea Football Association's policy of separating the two national-team coaching structures, Kim Eun-jung will take charge of the setup for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
[email protected] Park Ji-hyun Reporter