Son Heung-min has gracefully accepted an apology from his junior, Lee Kang-in, following a dispute that arose during the last Asian Cup. Lee Kang-in traveled to London to make amends in person, a gesture Son appreciated and shared on his social media, stating, “I will take special care to help him grow into a better person. We are always one team.”
The conflict between team captain Son Heung-min and promising young player Lee Kang-in occurred just before the AFC Asian Cup 2023 semi-final match against Jordan, shocking many fans. The altercation resulted in Son suffering a dislocated finger injury, for which he is still wearing a bandage.
As expected, the impact was significant, but fortunately, the two reconciled, communicated, and resolved the issue well.
After Lee Kang-in posted an apology on his social media on the 21st, Son Heung-min also stated through his social media, “[Lee] Kang-in sincerely regretted and apologized sincerely to all the national team players, including me.”
In the picture uploaded by Son Heung-min, the two players were seen shoulder to shoulder, smiling brightly.
Son Heung-min reflected on his journey and the role of mentorship in his development, acknowledging past mistakes and the value of guidance from his seniors. “I also made mistakes and showed bad behavior when I was young, but I was able to reach this position thanks to the stern advice and teachings of my seniors,” he shared.
Addressing concerns about potential divisions within the national team, Son emphasized unity and focus, dismissing the relevance of taking sides. “Taking sides is irrelevant to the truth. We are always trying to be one team and focus on one place. I will strive to make the national team grow more through this incident,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Lee Kang-in has been heavily criticized on the internet due to this incident, and he is having a hard time as some advertising contracts have been canceled.
In response, Son Heung-min said, “[Lee] Kang-in is having a hard time. As the captain of the national team, I ask for your forgiveness. Please forgive him with a generous heart just this once,” taking care of his younger brother again.
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