South Korea's preparations for their World Cup match against Mexico have been overshadowed by a rift between the players and the country's media following disparaging comments about captain Son Heung-min.

The spat reportedly led to the resignation of one of the team's media officers on Tuesday. The national team has yet to confirm the resignation, which has been reported by some of the media covering the South Korean squad in Guadalajara.

Access for the media had apparently been cut off after the comments against Son were caught on camera. Players reportedly refrained from speaking to South Korean media outside official World Cup commitments, and scheduled interviews with players were cancelled.

Mexican media said there was a meeting between the team's media officers and the South Korean media to discuss the incident.

The South Korean football association said it regretted "the inappropriate remarks made by some media personnel during the national football team's training at the Guadalajara base camp". The organisation added the comments caused "great shock and disappointment" within the squad.

The incident occurred during an open training session on June 7. The 33-year-old Son, running with teammates, was mocked by unidentified media personnel over his military record in footage recorded by broadcaster JTBC. The video was later leaked, prompting a strong reaction on social media.

By helping South Korea win gold at the 2018 Asian Games, Son earned an exemption from the mandatory 21-month military service. He later completed alternative duties.

The federation said it "will continue to prioritise the protection of the squad and strive to create a healthy media environment". South Korea plays Mexico on Thursday in Guadalajara in Group A.

Source: www.aljazeera.com