The footballers issue a joint statement apologising to fans and say during the talks they looked at what went wrong during the World Cup

Son Heung-min and four other South Korean players said Thursday they had put their differences aside after reports of bitter internal divisions at the heart of the national team.

South Korean football has been mired in controversy since their hugely disappointing exit in the group stage of the World Cup, after which unpopular coach Hong Myung-bo quit.

In the fallout, reports emerged in local media of a split involving the 34-year-old skipper Son and some of the other players, including Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae.

Son and Kim, together with Lee Jae-sung, Hwang In-beom and Hwang Hee-chan, issued a joint statement to fans apologising and saying it was time to move on after they held talks.

“First of all, we would like to sincerely apologise to the Korean public and football fans for the concern caused by recent reports concerning the national team,” the statement said.

“At our recent meeting we gathered to share our thoughts on the national team openly and honestly.