Son Heung-min (31, Tottenham) directly opened his mouth in relation to the recent controversy over Kim Min-jae (27, Naples)’s ‘SNS Unpal’. Son Heung-min once again showed an interpersonal aspect and wrapped up his juniors.
On the 4th (hereinafter Korean time), Sports Seoul interviewed Son Heung-min immediately after the away game against Everton in the 29th round of the English Premier League (EPL) in the 2022-2023 season held at Goodison Park in Liverpool, England on this day. conveyed his thoughts.
Son Heung-min said, “I talked to Min-jae, but you know how much I like him. I think that Min-jae was in a situation where he was sufficiently misunderstood. He said that Min-jae was wrong, but didn’t he admit and accept it himself?”
The ‘Unfollow Controversy’ started with the remarks made by Kim Min-jae after the friendly against Uruguay on the 28th of last month. He said in an interview, “I’m mentally broken now,” and “I want to pay more attention to my team.” This was interpreted as a remark suggesting his retirement soon, and criticism arose among soccer fans that Kim Min-jae took the weight of the national team lightly.
As the criticism intensified, Kim Min-jae said, “The meaning of being difficult was misrepresented.” I was feeling a lot of pressure in the situation where my weight in the national team, which I had just enjoyed, was getting bigger and bigger,” he explained. Right after the apology was uploaded, public opinion seemed to calm down quickly.
Afterwards, Son Heung-min, who saw this article, comforted Kim Min-jae by pressing ‘Like’, and then, after the national team game, posted a post as usual and thanked the fans. Son Heung-min wrote, “Playing for the country, wearing the uniform of the Korean national soccer team is always a proud and honored thing.”
However, about an hour and a half after Son Heung-min’s impressions of the national team game were posted, the circumstances were captured that Kim Min-jae blocked Son Heung-min’s SNS account. Son Heung-min’s name disappeared from Kim Min-jae’s Instagram following list. In addition, all traces of ‘Like’ that Son Heung-min pressed on Kim Min-jae’s past posts were also gone. According to Instagram policy, if you block someone, all of their likes and comments will be deleted.
As a result, rumors of discord within the national team were raised among fans, and various speculations arose over the relationship between the two.
In the end, on the 1st, Kim Min-jae once again issued a statement and apologized. In a statement made through his agency, he said, “I was short-tempered. Wrong. Heung-min hyung always posts such a post after the national team convocation is over, but due to the interview conducted the day before, he misunderstood and acted out of common sense.”
The two are now following again, and the ‘Unfollow’ incident remains as a happening.
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