Korea's Son Heung-min during a FIFA World Cup press conference in Guadalajara, Mexico, June 10. Reuters-Yonhap GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Korea’s preparations for Thursday’s 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 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 Korean media outside official World Cup commitments, and scheduled interviews with players were canceled.Mexican media said there was a meeting between the team's media officers and the Korean media to discuss the incident.There was no media access scheduled on Tuesday. The pre-match news conference is scheduled for Wednesday.The Korean soccer 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 organization added the comments caused “great shock and disappointment” within the squad.The incident occurred during an open training session on June 7, days before Korea beat the Czech Republic 2-1 in its first World Cup match.The 33-year-old Son, running with teammates, was mocked by unidentified media personnel over his military record in footage recorded by broadcaster JTBC, Korea’s official rights holder for the tournament. The video was later leaked, prompting a strong reaction on social media.By helping Korea win gold at the 2018 Asian Games, Son earned an exemption from the mandatory 21-month military service required of able-bodied men.Son later completed alternative duties, including a three-week military training course in 2020 and community service.The federation said in Monday's statement that it “will continue to prioritize the protection of the squad and strive to create a healthy media environment.”Son, who left Tottenham for Los Angeles FC a year ago, missed chances in the victory over the Czech Republic, with Hwang In-beom and Oh Hyeon-gyu scoring in Guadalajara.Korea plays again in Guadalajara on Thursday when it faces Mexico in Group A.