'Ignorance breeds courage' Jeon Hyun-moo prophesies "Korea reaches quarterfinals, Lee Ki-hyeok shines" .. Live broadcast of 'KBS 2026 FIFA North American World Cup' with Lee Young-pyo and Nam Hyun-jong [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.

Broadcast Jeon Hyun-moo, serving as a caster for the '2026 FIFA North American World Cup,' expressed hope for the national team's advancement to the quarterfinals.

The 'KBS 2026 FIFA North American World Cup' production press conference was held on the afternoon of the 2nd at KBS Art Hall on Yeouipark-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Lee Young-pyo, Jeon Hyun-moo, and Nam Hyun-jong, who are in charge of the main broadcast and commentary for this World Cup, attended.

The '2026 FIFA North American World Cup' will take place from the 11th to July 19. Under the slogan "One Korea! The World Cup is KBS," KBS is the only terrestrial broadcaster to cover the World Cup. South Korea will play group stage matches against the Czech Republic on the 12th at 11 a.m., Mexico on the 19th at 10 a.m., and South Africa on the 25th at 10 a.m.

Lee Young-pyo, Jeon Hyun-moo, and Nam Hyun-jong first worked together at the 2026 K League 1 match between Ulsan HD FC and BucheonFC1995 held on May 10 at Ulsan Munsu World Cup Stadium, officially kicking off preparations for the World Cup fever.

Originally, JTBC signed an exclusive contract with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2019, securing broadcasting rights for the 2026 and 2032 Summer and Winter Olympics and the 2030 World Cup. However, due to reduced accessibility from single-channel broadcasting, JTBC showed an average viewership of just over 1% during the 2026 Winter Olympics coverage. With the three terrestrial broadcasters not covering the event, controversy arose over the infringement of "universal viewing rights." Consequently, KBS reached a final agreement with JTBC for the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup broadcasting rights, allowing viewers to watch the World Cup through the public broadcaster KBS.

KBS stated, "Although a significant deficit is expected, we accepted JTBC's final offer for the North American World Cup to fulfill our duty as a public broadcaster. Through continuous efforts to realize the value of the reception fee, we achieved a dramatic agreement." MBC and SBS will not participate in this World Cup coverage due to financial losses.

Song Jae-hyuk, head of the Sports Center, said, "The World Cup is now more than just a sport; it is a global festival. To capture the nation's enthusiastic support and the players' passion, we, as a public broadcaster, secured the broadcasting rights as the sole terrestrial network after many twists and turns."

He continued, "Although the media environment is changing rapidly, KBS decided to take on this challenge because we believe we must fulfill our duty as a public broadcaster. Since the final negotiations concluded at the end of April, the preparation period for World Cup coverage was extremely short. We will leverage our long-standing expertise to provide excellent coverage this year as well. This time, we will introduce AI-based match prediction, analysis, multi-language translation services, and viewer prediction events to turn living rooms into a festival atmosphere. We will create the hottest and most reliable broadcast for our viewers."

Jeon Hyun-moo said, "I have been broadcasting for quite some time, but this is my first time introducing myself as a caster. I am Jeon Hyun-moo, a new caster at KBS." He added, "I am spending each day with a tension different from when I do variety shows, but fortunately, people have shown more expectation than concern about our trio, so we are preparing well. We are working hard to create a festival atmosphere at the. Where we lack, we will fill with energy and spirit." He further stated, "Even this morning, I watched the national team's friendly match and synced up with commentator Lee Young-pyo. I received feedback that I have improved a bit."

When asked about his thoughts upon receiving the World Cup caster proposal from KBS, he said, "World Cup coverage has existed for 14 years, but I never thought it would be my place. This year marks the 20th anniversary of my joining KBS, and since the World Cup fever seems to be waning, I accepted the caster position for the first time in 12 years to be of some help."

Jeon Hyun-moo said, "My mindset has changed since then. The emotion of watching Lee Young-pyo play as a player in 2002 and the feeling of the entire nation uniting seem to be something younger generations cannot fully feel now. This time, I will become a clown to give the players strength."

Regarding his casting style, Jeon Hyun-moo said, "I want to show that 'ignorance can lead to courage.' I ask unblemished questions. Since the World Cup is a genre watched by many who do not know soccer well, I will present content that represents such people."

Jeon Hyun-moo, who won the Grand Prize at the '2025 KBS Entertainment Awards,' may also aim for the Grand Prize for two consecutive years this year for his performance as a caster. He joked, "I won the Grand Prize at the KBS Entertainment Awards last year, so I am preparing for it now." He added, "I believe the Entertainment Awards are directly linked to KBS coverage." Nam Hyun-jong added, "I will also do my best to help senior Jeon Hyun-moo win the Grand Prize at the KBS Entertainment Awards for two consecutive years."

Having experienced the weightlifting broadcast at the '2024 Paris Olympics,' he revealed his preparation process, saying, "Soccer has a faster tempo, which was difficult. Since there are many soccer fans, the viewing is sharper, so I prepared more."

As the KBS '2026 FIFA North American World Cup' caster, Jeon Hyun-moo also appeared on JTBC's 'Talkpa-won 25:00' going on a World Cup away support trip. Jeon Hyun-moo explained, "I am preparing for the World Cup with two companies, so I am traveling for both. 'Talkpa-won 25:00' was already decided to go, similar to the old 'Lee Kyung-kyu Goes.' Then, the KBS caster proposal came, and JTBC said it was fine."

Lee Young-pyo returns as a KBS World Cup commentator after eight years. He stated his resolve, saying, "I know the mindset with which the players will run this time. It is the same feeling I have as a supporter of the national team since my retirement. I will strive to connect the stadium and viewers in a straight line."

When asked about his chemistry with Jeon Hyun-moo and Nam Hyun-jong, Lee Young-pyo replied, "Caster Nam Hyun-jong is the youngest caster, so we must recognize his abilities. Caster Jeon Hyun-moo is special. It is a casting style I have never experienced in my entire soccer career. I was surprised a few times while working together today and am still adapting. Viewers will be able to watch a broadcast they have never experienced before while watching soccer."

Nam Hyun-jong said, "Preparing for South Korea's matches makes me very excited and my heart beats fast. Broadcasting has been my dream since I dreamed of becoming an announcer, and I will show an interesting broadcast to senior Jeon Hyun-moo." He added, "I love soccer so much that I have followed overseas soccer every season. I was not in a hurry because the broadcasting rights were purchased urgently. As a public broadcaster, I have always been prepared."

When asked about the strengths of KBS World Cup coverage compared to JTBC, Nam Hyun-jong said, "Having done sports broadcasting for a long time, we will showcase the expertise gained from that and provide a dignified broadcast suitable for a public broadcaster." Lee Young-pyo said, "We will provide three-dimensional analysis and want to deliver news from outside the camera angles half a step faster."

Furthermore, Lee Young-pyo said, "KBS is either fun or expertise. Caster Jeon Hyun-moo had built a wall around his expertise, but this opportunity has broken that wall significantly." He added, "Park Ju-young and Kim Shin-wook may not be fun, but their expertise will overwhelm other networks."

Regarding star players he expects to see in this World Cup, Lee Young-pyo said, "Good results will come when all players perform well in their positions. It would be great if players who need to score, such as Oh Hyeon-gyu and Cho Gue-sung, who are currently in good form, score goals, helping our team advance."

Jeon Hyun-moo said, "I expect Lee Ki-hyeok. He is good at making key passes with his left foot and is also strong in physical battles." He predicted, "I expect us to reach the quarterfinals. We will easily advance from the Round of 32, and if we handle the Round of 16 opponents without difficulty, we will reach the quarterfinals. Our draw is favorable." Nam Hyun-jong also said, "I also predicted Lee Ki-hyeok. I think Bae Jun-ho is a player who creates something from nothing, so he will surely make an impact at the World Cup."

When asked about expected viewership, Lee Young-pyo said, "This time, it will be different because Jeon Hyun-moo is the target. For the first time in my soccer career, I am concerned about viewership." Jeon Hyun-moo, who ranked first with 18% viewership during the 2024 Paris Olympics weightlifting broadcast, said, "Coincidentally, I won against Bae Sung-jae then. I hope both broadcasters do well, but I hope we do a little better. That way, we can win the Entertainment Awards. Please help us."

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*This content was translated by AI.