Inbeom Hwang: “No one is willing to front up” | OneFootball

Inbeom Hwang returned to action for the South Korea national team in a goalless draw against Venezuela, playing 80 minutes in the third-to-last warm-up match of this cycle. The FC Porto midfielder, however, did not limit himself to analyzing the game: he laid out the accumulated fatigue, the uncertainty surrounding the setup, and the lack of leadership. On the problems surrounding the national team, he was blunt: “there is no one available to stand up and take responsibility.”

After being rested in the first two matches, Inbeom Hwang was finally used in a cycle that had already included a 3-0 win over Ecuador and a 1-4 defeat to Uruguay. Signed by FC Porto from Feyenoord, the midfielder spoke at a time marked by South Korea’s poor showing at the 2026 World Cup, with an exit in the group stage, and painted a harsh picture of problems he considers long-standing.

Having been with the national team for around nine years, the South Korea international refused to treat the situation as a passing setback. His call for change came together with a sense of personal responsibility and a fatigue that goes beyond the sporting side.

“There are many things that need to change. I’ve been with the national team for about nine years and, since then, there are several aspects that should have been changed, but that does not seem to be happening.” He then lamented: “It is very hard. It takes a toll on the body and mind… I truly wanted South Korean football to develop in a positive way, but I feel a great responsibility when I see that this is not being achieved.”

Hwang’s words reveal a frustration built up over several years, not just a reaction to the latest result. The midfielder puts the development of South Korean football at the center of the debate and admits that the players directly feel the lack of answers.

Institutional instability was the point at which his remarks became harsher. The Korea Football Association is being led by one of its vice-presidents, Lee Yong-soo, after the departure of Chung Mong-gyu, while head coach Robert Moreno arrived in an interim role.

“To begin with, there is no one helping us. There is no one by our side. At the moment, we do not have a president and the head coach [Robert Moreno] came in on an interim basis, so no one knows what will happen in the future. From the players’ point of view, the situation is not easy at all.” Hwang added: “There are many doubts about who might provide that help. There are obvious problems happening, but no one is taking the lead and there is no one available to stand up and take responsibility. I think a lot about how we could be helped beyond what we do on the pitch, but I still have not found an answer. I know my words will generate comments, but the truth is that this is very frustrating.”

The assessment leaves no room for ambiguity: the players feel abandoned and without leadership capable of defining the future. Hwang recognizes the public impact of his comments, but prefers to take that risk rather than leave unsaid what he sees as obvious.

The midfielder also clarified the reasons why he did not take part in the first two matches. Without speaking of an injury, he revealed that he had felt some discomfort and admitted that returning to competition was not simple.

“It was not an injury, but I felt some discomfort. It was not an easy situation during the match, but physically, at a muscular level, I held up better than I expected and managed to run more than I had anticipated.” He also explained: “We have one game left and we have to prepare well to show a good collective image.”

Despite the discomfort, the 80 minutes against Venezuela gave the Porto player more positive physical signs than he had expected. Between institutional concern and the response on the pitch, Hwang is now targeting the final match of this cycle with the ambition of restoring a stronger collective image.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.