According to reports, Lee and a few other players raced through a team lunch so they could play table tennis.

Son was upset about this as he was the team captain and dinners before major games are usually regarded as a time for bonding.

Son received some nasty comments from Lee and the other younger players when he requested them to sit with the team. Son’s finger got dislocated in the ensuing fight.

Even after Lee, a 23-year-old midfielder in South Korea, apologized to teammates and fans on Instagram last week, things have not improved for him.

South Korean internet users have been criticizing Lee nonstop over the last two days. Supporters have gone so far as to demand that companies using Lee be boycotted.

One of the top cellular providers in South Korea, KT, made the decision to take Lee out of their marketing campaign.
Lee’s contract with KT was extended last month after he signed it in 2019.
A petition to the Korean Football Federation (KFA) asking for Lee’s permanent ban from representing the national football team was also signed by a large number of fans on social media.

The South Korean media reports that Lee will be severely punished at the end of the KFA.

Lee, who won best player at the U20 World Cup in 2019, is one of South Korea’s best football players. He presently plays for PSG, the largest club in France.

Son said nothing about the incident and focused solely on his team, Tottenham Hotspur, in his most recent interview.

In related development:

The captain of South Korea, Son Heung-min, said that the team’s humiliating 2023 Asian Cup elimination had been the “toughest week” of his life.

Son appeared off the bench in the second half of Tottenham Hotspurs’ Premier League match against Brighton on February 10, marking his comeback to club football following the 2023 Asian Cup. As Son entered the game, the Spurs supporters jumped up and applauded their captain, who was making his comeback.

In extra time, the 31-year-old star gave striker Brennan Johnson the assist that won the game, giving Spurs a 2-1 triumph.

Son thanked the supporters for their support throughout the game and for getting him through a challenging Asian Cup competition.

“Thank you; receiving such a response is a great honor. Son stated in an interview with Tottenham Hotspurs, “I had been through probably the toughest week of my life, but you made me very happy again and lifted me up.”

“This is a moment I will never forget in my life until I die.”

The 2023 Asian Cup campaign for South Korea was mostly unsuccessful. Even though the squad made it to the semifinals, they were widely criticized for their uninspired and disjointed performances. Their stars’ individual moments of brilliance accounted for the majority of the goals, and they only secured one victory in official time during the

South Korea’s problems did not stop there, as there have been many disputes in the wake of their campaign. The fans are furious and the team is in disarray following the fight between Son and Lee Kang-in at a pre-game dinner, which caused the former to dislocate his finger. Additionally, coach Jurgen Klinsmann was fired on Friday.

Following their altercation, disciplinary measures against Son and Lee have also been addressed. As a result, both players will probably miss South Korea’s two matches against Thailand in the 2026 FIFA World Cup second qualifying round in March.