“We Never Made Demands Conditional on Retiring from the National Team” ... the ’92 and ’96 Cohorts, Including Heung-min Son and Kim Min-jae, Issue Joint Statement

[Financial News]  Heung-min Son (LAFC) and Lee Jae-sung of the ’92 cohort, along with Kim Min-jae (Munich), Hwang In-beom (Porto) and Hwang Hee-chan (Schalke) of the ’96 cohort, who were at the center of rumors of discord within the national team, apologized for the controversy in an official statement. They also joined forces to work together for the advancement of Korean football.
With the national team preparing for two away matches in the Middle East during the November international window, its “captains” Heung-min Son, Lee Jae-sung, Kim Min-jae, Hwang In-beom and Hwang Hee-chan issued a joint statement on the 12th (Korea time) through the Korea Football Association.
In the statement, they said, “We have played together for Korean football for a long time, and we are teammates who will continue to pursue the same goal,” adding, “We will respect and trust one another’s roles and responsibilities, and work together to set a good example for the young players who will write the next chapter of Korean football.”
They added, “At this camp, we came together and candidly shared our thoughts about the national team,” and said, “By listening directly to and explaining things we had not been able to discuss sufficiently until now, we were able to better understand one another’s positions.”
They said they had “reaffirmed above all that we are all of one mind,” adding, “Korean football, which has been stagnant for a while, must progress further, and we must repay the public for their support with performances and results befitting its history and stature.” They identified the advancement of Korean football as an immediate task.
They explained the earlier rumors of discord, saying, “Of course, we felt the same way before, and that has not changed. What happened among us national team players did not stem from personal conflicts with a particular player or interests tied to a particular matter, but from a shared recognition that the national team needed to improve.”
They stressed, “It is absolutely not true that we tried to push through specific demands on the condition that we retire,” and said, “We know well that what the public expects from us is not an explanation, but sincerity and good performances on the field.”
They vowed, “We will give our best as one in these friendlies and repay your encouragement and support with performances and an attitude befitting the history and stature of Korean football,” adding, “We will communicate more closely with the association so that the disappointments and regrets of the previous tournament are not repeated.”
Tensions between the ’92 cohort—Heung-min Son and Lee Jae-sung—and the ’96 cohort—Kim Min-jae, Hwang In-beom and Hwang Hee-chan—surfaced after the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America, escalating into rumors of a falling-out. In particular, tensions with the ’92 cohort intensified after members of the ’96 cohort stirred up a “retirement controversy” following the Uzbekistan match, the final game of the four-match international run in September and October.
The players, who had remained silent despite the controversy, appear to have resolved to pull together after talking ahead of the year’s final two international matches. Heung-min Son and Hwang Hee-chan were also spotted walking side by side and talking during the first training session of this camp.
Meanwhile, the national team, led by interim coach Robert Moreno, will wrap up its international schedule for the year with friendlies against Saudi Arabia on the 13th and Qatar on the 17th.
[email protected] Kim Hee-sun Reporter