Lee Gang In’s agency denies physical conflict with Son Heung Min

Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain trains at the Paris Saint-Germain Training Center in Poissy, France on Tuesday. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Lee Kang-in’s representative has refuted claims that there was a physical altercation between the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder and Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min during last week’s Asia Cup match.
According to South Korean media reports on Thursday, Lee’s agency issued a statement apologizing for his involvement in the altercation with Song, but said that Lee had punched the captain, and that Song had been involved in the altercation with Lee. He stated that reports such as that he grabbed the man’s chest are false.
The previous day, Lee issued a statement on Instagram apologizing for the incident. Lee’s statement does not specify that it was a physical altercation.
Lee and Song reportedly got into an argument during a team dinner on the eve of February 6, when South Korea was eliminated from the semi-finals by Jordan.
According to JoongAng Ilbo, the incident reportedly occurred after several young members of the team (Lee Kang-in, Seol Young-woo, and Jung Woo-young) rushed out of dinner to play table tennis. Son, perhaps along with other older members of the team, asked the younger players to return to the table to promote team unity.
The young players reportedly disagreed and some sort of altercation ensued.
The article was originally reported by Britain’s Sun newspaper, which claimed the altercation was physical and ended with Mr. Song dislocating his finger. South Korean media later added that Son injured Lee’s finger when the players dragged him away after Sohn grabbed Lee by the chest and Lee swung at him.
None of these reports have been verified by specific sources, and the only official statements so far have been an admission by the KFA that there was an altercation between Son and another player, and an admission by Lee that there was an altercation between Son and another player. only apologized for his involvement in the altercation.
This confusing uproar comes against the backdrop of the Football Association’s crisis, with fans pointing fingers at both coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who is seen as responsible for South Korea’s lackluster performance at the Asian Cup; is calling for the resignation of Chairman Jeong Mong-gyu. Because of Klinsmann’s hiring and the current state of Korean soccer in general.
Some fans believe that the KFA was behind the original leak to The Sun, and that yesterday’s unusually quick confirmation of the news was not an attempt to shift focus away from the KFA. I have doubts. The news saves face for the KFA and also makes it easier for the KFA to dismiss Klinsmann, who has faced much criticism during his managerial career but is generally considered to be an excellent team-builder. Some people think it was meant to be. This is to increase the pressure on Mr. Chung.
The KFA’s national team committee met on Thursday morning to discuss the Asia Cup and Klinsmann’s position. The results of that meeting are expected to be announced at 2pm today.

Written by Jim Bouley [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]