South Korea’s Sports Ministry to Tackle Pitch Quality Concerns Following Son’s Criticism

On Thursday, South Korea’s sports ministry announced its commitment to collaborating with the domestic football league to enhance the standard of playing surfaces, following national team captain Son Heung-min’s remarks that the quality of pitches contributed to the team’s lackluster performance in World Cup qualifiers held on home soil.

Currently, South Korea sits three points ahead in Group B of the third round of Asian qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. However, they could have already booked their ticket to North America had they managed to secure victories against Oman or Jordan during the recent international window.

Instead, the Koreans settled for draws in both encounters, which were relocated to regional venues due to the unsatisfactory state of the Seoul World Cup Stadium’s pitch. Unfortunately, Son observed minimal improvement at the alternative grounds in Goyang and Suwon.

In the ongoing qualifying phase, South Korea has achieved just one victory in four home matches, while the other three ended in draws.

“The condition of football pitches is directly tied to the overall quality of the matches, influencing both player performance and fan enjoyment,” stated the ministry as reported by the Yonhap News agency.

“We are committed to finding practical solutions to these issues and enhancing our collaboration with the K League, individual clubs, and stadium management to create a sustainable management framework,” the ministry added.

Players in the K League have raised concerns regarding pitch conditions, particularly during colder weather. The ministry announced plans to assess the quality of surfaces at 27 stadiums hosting domestic fixtures, starting in April.

Despite these unsatisfactory results, South Korea is set to secure their 11th consecutive World Cup appearance if they manage to avoid defeat against Iraq in Basra on June 5. They will then host Kuwait on June 10 for their final qualifying match.