Is South Korean Football Doomed?
February 5th, 2024. The South Korean national team is having dinner at their hotel on the eve of their semi-final match against Jordan in the AFC Asian Cup. Fresh off a dramatic 2-1 victory over Australia in extra time, the team seems destined to win their first Asian Cup since 1960.
But in one moment, the narrative turns on its head, and a tournament seemingly built on good vibes turns into a national nightmare that leads to the sacking of a coach and a brutal smear campaign against one of its most promising players. This is the story of what happened between Lee Kang-in and Son Heung-min at the 2023 Asian Cup, according to former South Korea manager Jurgen Klinsmann.
(I want to thank Korean football writer Steve Han and his Fairpoint team for allowing me to be part of an exclusive interview, which this article is based on.)
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Dressed in a casual sweater and sporting comfortable tennis shoes, Klinsmann could pass for any middle-aged man enjoying the sunny California weather. He strides into a local cafe in Costa Mesa and gives me and the rest of the interview team a warm handshake accompanied by a few light-hearted jokes.
Except Klinsmann isn’t any random man. He’s one of the most legendary strikers in football history and the man who witnessed what happened on the night of ping-pong gate. As someone who grew up obsessed with German football, I felt like I was in a dream. I was about to sit down with a World Cup and European champion and ask him questions regarding some of the most sensitive topics in his career.
The interview starts light and casual, but I can tell there are things Klinsmann is dying to share. More importantly, there is a sense that he feels disrespected by what transpired.
How Klinsmann Got the Job
Klinsmann says he was approached about taking over the KNT by KFA President Chung Mong-gyu at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Instead of a formal approach, it seems that Chung chatted with a friend to discuss taking one of the most important jobs in Asian football.
After being let go by the USMNT during their disastrous 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign, Klinsmann had been working as a TV pundit for ESPN FC and contributing to FIFA’s Technical Study Group. The consensus in world football was that he was a charming man with limited tactical acumen and a history of leaving controversy in his wake. Despite this criticism, Chung hired him, overruling the advice of the KFA technical committee.
After being officially hired in late February of 2023, Klinsmann started his KNT career by going winless in five straight matches, failing to beat the likes of El Salvador and Peru. Along with the poor results, he was blasted by the Korean media for his disjointed tactics and refusal to live in the country full-time. Klinsmann explained to us that he preferred delegating domestic scouting duties to his assistant Cha Du-ri and that he wanted to be in Europe to visit established Korean players.
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Despite these glaring red flags, there was a belief the team had enough quality to make it far at the Asian Cup. Results began to turn around in the fall of 2023, with South Korea outscoring opponents by a score of 20 to 0 through six matches (mostly due to the individual brilliance of Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in).
Warning Signs
South Korea began their Asian Cup campaign with a resounding 3-1 victory over Bahrain, but in reality, that was probably the only good game they played in the tournament.
The team struggled mightily in their final group stage matches, drawing with Jordan and Malaysia. A lack of a proper central defensive midfielder and inexperienced center-backs outside of FC Bayern defender Kim Min-jae made it easy for opponents to find space in the Korean box.
A dramatic penalty shootout victory over Saudi Arabia in the Round of 16 followed by another lucky win against Australia saved Klinsmann’s blushes temporarily. South Korea was through to the semifinals and on the cusp of playing for a trophy that had eluded them for decades.
The Gloves Come Off
The night of February 5th began like any other evening. The players gathered for one last meal before a pivotal match. Jordan had given South Korea all sorts of problems in their first meeting, but there was a sense of destiny surrounding the KNT thanks to their recent last-minute wins.
PSG midfielder Lee Kang-in, considered by many to be Son Heung-min’s successor, finished his meal early and went to play a game of ping-pong with a group of younger teammates. As everyone knows by now, Son walked over to Lee and told him to return to the table. The young midfielder said something that ignited a scuffle which resulted in the Tottenham captain nursing a dislocated finger.
In Korean culture, there is an expectation that younger people should defer to their elders, almost to the point of never needing to question authority.
Unlike most Korean players, Lee Kang-in spent much of his life in Spain, developing a fiery attitude reminiscent of Sergio Ramos rather than Son Heung-min. It’s that same fire that helped him find success in La Liga and ultimately secure a move to PSG.
Is Korea in Trouble?
Klinsmann believes that the fight destroyed the team’s spirit, which up to that point he claims had been incredible. Whatever the reason, South Korea crashed out against Jordan without registering a single shot on target. Klinsmann went on to lose his job a few weeks later. As he spoke about the process that led to his departure, he mentioned how the hierarchical nature of Korean society made it difficult for the team to overcome the fight.
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After the cameras stopped rolling, Klinsmann was kind enough to sit down with us for lunch. He mentioned that the Germany squad he won the World Cup with in 1990 wasn’t the most talented at the tournament. He explained that their fighting spirit combined with Franz Beckenbauer’s legendary man-management skills was what put them over the top.
This is a point that has stayed with me since the interview. Despite the immense talent on this South Korean team, there is a clear generational divide between the players. Although he’s spent years in Europe, Son Heung-min came through the national team during a time when most of his colleagues were toiling in Asia.
Juxtapose that with a player like Lee Kang-in, who moved to Spain at the age of ten and speaks Spanish more fluently than Korean. Even before the Asian Cup, there were rumors that Lee had rubbed some of the older players the wrong way with his attitude. The fight that broke out on the eve of the Jordan match was a result of long-simmering tensions in the squad.
Whatever ‘mistakes’ Lee may have made with the national team, the reality is that he is the future. He’s the youngest Korean footballer to make his professional debut in Europe, appearing for Valencia CF at the ripe age of 17. He then went on to win the Golden Ball at the 2019 U-20 World Cup, leading South Korea to the final against Ukraine.
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Despite his importance, many in the Korean public condemned the young star, with some even calling for his permanent banishment from the national team. This toxic atmosphere makes it difficult for Korean players to feel comfortable in the national team as they live under constant fear of being canceled. Klinsmann astutely pointed out that until this changes, it will be impossible for South Korea to win silverware.
What Now?
There are no easy answers to the core problems in Korean football. The country can develop ten more players like Son Heung-min or Lee Kang-in and we still would have a difficult time winning a trophy. New manager Hong Myung-bo (a legend in his own right) has taken the reins and attempted to steady the ship with mixed results.
While Hong is respected as a world-class player that made the move into management, he still comes from a generation of Korean athletes which bought into the culture of hierarchy. It remains to be seen how he does with the KNT at the 2026 World Cup, but one thing is clear, things need to change fast if this team wants to make noise.
By: Albert Kim / @Albert_Kim2022
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Pressinphoto / Icon Sport