No, Kim Min-jae did not say he wants to quit the Korean national team

Kim Min-jae [YONHAP]

In a widely-quoted comment after Korea’s 2-1 loss to Uruguay on Tuesday, center back Kim Min-jae admitted he was “mentally spent” and wants to focus on his club Napoli rather than the national team.

What he did not say, despite numerous headlines claiming he did, is that he wants to retire from the Korean national team.

“Right now, I am exhausted,” Kim told reporters in the mixed zone at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo District, western Seoul on Tuesday. “I want to focus on my club rather than the national team.”

Kim, now considered one of the best defenders in the world, said his comments were not discussed with the Korea Football Association and he has only spoken to the organization briefly.

The Napoli defender then ended the conversation.

Kim’s comments have been construed by Korean media as suggesting that he wants to retire from the international team and has actively discussed it with the KFA. But that is only one possible interpretation of what were quite vague comments, and the most extreme one at that.

Kim, coming off the pitch after a harrowing loss that marked the end of the international break for him, may well have been saying that he now wants to focus on Napoli, the team he will be expected to play for next week, rather than the national team, with whom his service is complete until the summer. There was nothing in his comments to imply that he was making a more serious comment about his long-term commitment.

When asked whether he had discussed the situation with the KFA, Kim’s response could have just as easily been referring to his mental and physical exhaustion and how to balance his duties to club and country, not alluding to secret discussions about departing the team.

Kim has long taken a no-nonsense approach to media, rebuffing questions he is not interested in answering. Tuesday’s brief replies follow that trend of short, taciturn responses that offer little real insight into the topic. They do not suggest an imminent resignation from the national team.

Despite the growing controversy and need for clarity, Kim refused to answer any further questions Wednesday as he left Korea to return to Italy.

BY JIM BULLEY AND PAIK JI-HWAN [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]