Sanctions for Son and Lee after Asian Cup bust-up revealed

Following South Korea’s disappointing exit in the semifinal of the 2023 Asian Cup, news about the pre-game dinner bust-up between captain Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in quickly emerged. The Tottenham Hotspurs player is reported to have dislocated his finger during the brawl.

Coach Jurgen Klinsmann was given the sack by the KFA after the incident. In a press conference to address the German coach's dismissal on Friday, KFA president Chung Mong-gyu also mentioned the possible sanctions for Son and Lee.

South Korea's midfielder Son Heung-min (number 7) shoots to score his team's second goal during the Qatar 2023 AFC Asian Cup quarter-final football match between Australia and South Korea, as midfielder Lee Kang-in (number 18) watches at Al-Janoub Stadium in al-Wakrah, south of Doha, on Feb. 2, 2024. Photo by AFP

According to South Korean media, Chung noted that since both Son and Lee play for their own club, the only disciplinary action that can be taken against them is not getting the call up to the national team. This will be discussed in more details with coach Klinsmann’s successor.

Apart from the sanctions for players involving in the melee, determining who was in the wrong is also an issue of great concern to the fans.

According to media reports, the fight started after Lee and some other younger players were rushing through their dinner so they could play table tennis.

Son and some of the older players, on the other hand, wanted to honor the tradition of team bonding during the pre-game dinner, which led to the brawl and left Son with an injured finger.

Lee and Son both played in the Jordan loss.

"The incident happened in a very sensitive time. I believe now is not the time to talk too much about who was right and who was wrong, as it might rub more salt into the wound," said Chung.

Son has hinted at a possible national team retirement after the 2023 Asian Cup, while has issued an apology to the fans in a social media post.

The South Korea national team return to action in March with two games against Thailand in the second qualifier of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. If the KFA is to go ahead with the sanction, Son and Lee are unlikely to get the cap next month.