Hong Myung-bo, the head coach of the South Korean national soccer team, stated that there was no internal conflict within the team regarding the alleged interview boycott during the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America.
On July 30, Hong appeared as a witness at a hearing of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee regarding issues related to the Korea Football Association, where he denied allegations surrounding media interactions and player selections during the World Cup.
Previously, during a training session at the team's base camp in Guadalajara, Mexico, on June 8, some media members made inappropriate remarks towards the players, leading the team to refrain from participating in press conferences and interviews.
During the hearing, lawmaker Jeong Yeon-wook from the People Power Party questioned Hong about rumors that he instructed players to end the interview boycott after the team's 1-0 loss to Mexico in the group stage, and that this led to friction with Son Heung-min (LAFC) and Lee Jae-sung (Mainz).
In response, Hong firmly denied giving such an order, stating, "That is not true. I have never instructed the players to conduct interviews. While the players had differing opinions, I believe the gap was not significant enough to affect the team." He added, "Some players wanted to do interviews, while others felt they should wait until issues were resolved. Although there was no consensus, I hoped this matter could be resolved quickly through dialogue."
He also dismissed allegations that Son and Lee were excluded from the starting lineup for the third group match against South Africa (which ended in a 1-0 loss) as a result of the controversy.
"That is completely false. The decision not to include the two players was a tactical judgment," Hong explained. "I stood by the players and understood their perspectives well." He expressed disappointment that the issue arose from outside the team.
Kim Jin-kyu, a former assistant coach who also testified, emphasized that the decision to exclude key players for the match against South Africa was not a retaliatory measure.
When asked by lawmaker Choi Min-hee from the Democratic Party whether the exclusion of key players was punitive, Kim replied, "There was absolutely none of that. The exclusion of Son Heung-min and Lee Jae-sung was a tactical decision for game management. I do not believe their absence led to our loss in the match."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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