Kim Min-jae, Hwang In-beom, Hwang Hee-chan reportedly tell teammates they're quitting national team
The regular starters are reportedly in talks with Korea Football Association officials about retiring from the Taeguk Warriors, citing frustrations that “nothing changes.”
Hwang Hee-chan, far right, celebrates with Kim Min-jae, center, and Hwang In-beom after scoring the opening goal from a penalty during Korea’s 2022 Qatar World Cup Asian qualifier against the United Arab Emirates in Goyang, Gyeonggi, on Nov. 11, 2021.YONHAP
YONGIN, Gyeonggi — Three of the Korean national football team’s regular starters, Kim Min-jae, Hwang In-beom and Hwang Hee-chan, are said to be considering retiring from the Taeguk Warriors, according to unnamed sources Tuesday.
The three players, all born in 1996, reportedly made the remarks in the locker room after Tuesday's friendly against Uzbekistan, the same night Son Heung-min, the team's captain, became Korea's all-time top scorer.
After the match at Yongin Mireu Stadium in Gyeonggi, Kim of Bayern Munich, Hwang In-beom of FC Porto and Hwang Hee-chan of FC Schalke 04 were seen walking onto the empty pitch, hugging and posing for photos together. Kim was not been part of the squad for the Uzbekistan game.
Though sources say the three have not made a final decision, they are reportedly in ongoing talks about quitting the national team with a senior official at the Korea Football Association (KFA).
Hwang Hee-chan and Hwang In-beom did not respond when the JoongAng Ilbo asked whether they were announcing their retirement from the national team. Kim was not available for questions.
Frustration surfaced after a 0-0 draw with Venezuela in a friendly last Friday. Kim, Korea's top defender and widely considered the greatest Asian defender of all time, told reporters after the game that he felt "sorry for the defenders."
"It didn't feel like we were all fighting together," he said, rebuking teammates further up the pitch for not tracking back on defense and for low energy.
Kim was not included in the final two training sessions before the Uzbekistan game. It is unclear if he is not match fit or has been sidelined.
Kim Min-jae, right, dribbles the ball out of Korea’s defensive half during a friendly against Venezuela at Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan on Oct. 2.YONHAP
Midfielder Hwang In-beom fought back tears after the Venezuela game, voicing frustration with the KFA's lack of a president and the team's reliance on an interim coach.
"This is my ninth year on the national team, and change hasn't really happened in a lot of areas," he said.
Together, the two players' remarks point to divisions that have built up within the squad around the 2026 World Cup, where Korea was knocked out in the group stage.
During the same World Cup, players were also split over a media blackout that began after reporters were caught on a broadcast making disparaging remarks about Son. Son and veteran midfielder Lee Jae-sung of Mainz, both born in 1992, wanted to keep refusing interviews with Korean media, while the three players born in 1996 reportedly questioned whether it needed to go that far.
Questions have also been raised about Son’s role as captain considering the repeated internal conflicts during his nine-year tenure.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
