How the Korean Public Failed Lee Kang-in

I don’t have enough words to express how disgusted I am at the way South Korea crashed out of the 2023 Asian Cup. But there have been enough articles on the web detailing the incompetence of ex-manager Jurgen Klinsmann and KFA President Chung Mong-gyu. 

In the meantime, I think I have just enough words to describe the disgusting barrage of online attacks aimed at Lee Kang-in. 

The abuse hurled at the 22-year-old PSG midfielder has revealed the ugly parts of Korean society that people are too afraid to address—and it’s time that we get real about how a culture’s toxic elements can negatively affect the lives of everyone, even footballers.

Background

I was one of many people in South Korea shocked by the news of an alleged scuffle between captain Son Heung-min and midfielder Lee Kang-in (considered by many to be the next Son Heung-min) before the semi-final match against Jordan.

The story goes that Lee had finished his dinner early and played a game of table tennis with some teammates. Older players including Son got annoyed since team dinners are opportunities for players to bond. Lee said something to Son that the Spurs captain didn’t like, which led to a physical confrontation. Son dislocated his finger and Korea went on to lose the match against Jordan shamefully, registering zero shots on target. 

A simple locker fight over a game of ping-pong has since progressed into a national scandal with companies canceling their commercials of Lee Kang-in and internet users demanding that he be permanently banned from the national team. 

Lee is now potentially facing lawsuits that could cost him over five million U.S. dollars, and his. performances for PSG since returning from the Asian Cup have been hollow and lifeless. It seems as if the blowback from ‘ping-pong gate’ has gotten to him.

Cancel Culture in the ROK

In South Korea, companies typically insert “morality clauses” in their contracts with celebrities. Any hint of wrongdoing, whether…

Source link : https://www.footballparadise.com/how-the-korean-public-failed-lee-kang-in/

Author : Albert Kim

Publish date : 2024-03-05 14:00:00

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