Part of the reason the '96 line' rose up is because Son Heung-min hasn't been performing for the national team

Even though Son Heung-min hasn't been performing much for the national team in his later years,
he still maintains his position as captain,
which is likely why the other players find it hard to understand.
If he were like Messi, who silences everyone through sheer skill, no one would say a word and all teammates would look up to him.
The fact that Son Heung-min hasn't been able to do that is a major factor.
He struggled through both the 2022 World Cup and the 2026 World Cup qualifiers with zero goals,
yet people use the ridiculous logic of saying, "We need to treat Son Heung-min with respect" or "Think about how much he has done for us so far."
Even Ronaldo, who is better and has a higher status than Son, faces calls to retire and criticism from the Portuguese media because he hasn't performed well in his later years for the national team.
But in Korea, people baby Son Heung-min like a cult, which is why factions are forming within the national team.
If you aren't performing at your current level, regardless of how well you did in the past or what records you set, people are bound to talk.
In sports, if you ultimately prove yourself through performance, no one says a word.