Park Ji-sung, a Commissioner on the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) men's football stakeholders committee, said he was "disappointed" over the controversy surrounding Coach Hong Myung-bo's early substitution of Son Heung-min (34, LA FC).
Commissioner Park also advised that, ahead of the third group-stage match of the 2026 FIFA North and Central America and Caribbean World Cup, there needs to be more thought on how to use Son Heung-min.
On the 24th (Korea time), Commissioner Park visited the training ground at Estadio Universitario in San Nicolás, Nuevo León, Mexico, watched the Korea men's national football team train, and told reporters this.
Asked about the controversy over Son Heung-min's early substitution, Park said, "Personally, as a senior who has both played with Son Heung-min and watched how he performed, it is indeed disappointing."
Commissioner Park said, "Had the team gotten a good result by taking Son Heung-min off early, it would have been praised, but if the result was not good, the criticism is also the coach's responsibility."
Commissioner Park went on, "In the first and second matches, Son Heung-min was often isolated up front," adding, "There were many runs he made into the front line, but in the end there were few passes consolidated to him, so the physical toll was inevitably significant."
He added, "Son Heung-min's strength is ultimately his finishing ability, so there needs to be thought on how the players can create space for him and consolidate passes to enable that finish."
He said, "I don't know how the team will come out in the third match, but I think the result is also something the coach, who has the authority, must take responsibility for."
Regarding the third group-stage match against South Africa scheduled for 10 a.m. on the 25th at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, Commissioner Park picked "Kim Min-jae (30, FC Bayern Munich)" as the key player.
Commissioner Park said, "The Korea national team must keep a clean sheet to advance on its own," explaining, "The most important thing is how much stability we bring to the defensive line."
He continued, "Even if we advance as the No. 2 seed with a draw, I don't think the attitude toward the match changes," adding, "In the end, we will prepare to win, and we must play a match that we win."
He went on, "Because we are better in terms of strength on paper, if we just play as prepared, we can certainly win and advance to the round of 32."
He said, "In this World Cup, the national team has not scored first in any match," adding, "If we score first in the third match, we can definitely lead the game from a favorable position, and then better play can come."
On South Africa, he said, "They press a lot up front, and their wide players tend to push high," adding, "They often expose large spaces on the flanks, so we need to think about how to counterattack effectively."
He added, "South Africa's wing play is quite aggressive, so when we win the ball, how quickly we seize the space behind and manage the game is important," and, "Also, mistakes often appear during buildup, so turning those into good chances is important."