KFA condemns ‘personal attacks’ as rumors grow

South Korea’s soccer association has told fans to stop “excessive personal attacks,” warning of the “psychological burden” it could inflict on national team players in the crosshairs since their FIFA World Cup flop.

Hong Myung-bo quit as coach after the team failed to advance past the group stage in North America, and Spanish interim Robert Moreno is awaiting word on a possible extension.

With the Asian Cup scheduled to take place in January next year in Saudi Arabia, the national side are engulfed by claims of internal divisions.

South Korea’s Kim Min-jae, right, and Venezuela`s Jhonder Cadiz, center, vie for the ball during a friendly in Ulsan, South Korea, on Oct. 2.

Photo: AFP

Local media reports said some younger players feel held back by senior members of the squad, including long-time captain Son Heung-min.

In a lengthy statement, the Korea Football Association (KFA) condemned what it called attempts to sow discord.

“Unverified information and speculative claims about national football team players have recently been spreading on social media and online forums, with some players facing excessive criticism and personal attacks,” it said on Tuesday.

“Such behavior goes beyond the bounds of legitimate criticism and can place a severe psychological burden on individual players,” it said, urging fans to refrain from “making assumptions about internal team dynamics and fueling divisions within the squad.”

Speculation about discord emerged after Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae threw his boots in anger after being substituted in the second half of the disappointing home 0-0 draw with Venezuela this month.

Kim said afterward that “every player needs to put their head down and give it their all,” fueling talk of divisions within the squad.

The latest firestorm follows public outrage over the behavior of some players who earned exemptions from mandatory military service after winning gold at the Asian Games.

Their post-match celebrations, seen as suggesting that military exemptions had been their main motivation, sparked a backlash and prompted South Korean Minister of National Defense Kang Shin-chul to pledge to scale back the benefit.