Seol Young-woo takes a firm stance against malicious online commenters: "We will respond strongly to malicious defamation, personal attacks, and the spread of false information."

*This content was translated by AI.

The side of Seol Young-woo, a defender for the South Korean national football team (Red Star Belgrade), has announced a strong response to abusive and personally attacking malicious comments following the group stage's third match defeat.

The South Korean national team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, lost 0-1 to South Africa in the final third match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup North America qualifiers Group A, held on the 25th (Korea time) at Monterrey Stadium in Guadalupe, Mexico.

In this tournament, South Korea was drawn into Group A along with host nation Mexico, Czechia, and South Africa. South Korea secured a 2-1 comeback victory against Czechia in the first match but lost 0-1 to Mexico in the second match. Nevertheless, a draw against South Africa would have been enough to finish second in Group A and advance to the Round of 32. However, they failed to seize the final opportunity.

South Korea also showed frustration in the match against South Africa. They were outmatched in ball possession at 32%-68% and, although they had more total shots (13-8), they trailed in touches inside the opponent's penalty area (13-19). While there were numerous attacking attempts, there were insufficient scenes that translated into actual threats.

In Group A, Mexico finished first with three wins (9 points) and advanced to the Round of 32. South Africa recorded one win, one draw, and one loss (4 points), finishing second in the group and advancing to the tournament stage. South Korea finished third in the group with one win and two losses (3 points). The "European dark horse" Czechia, making its World Cup appearance for the first time in 20 years, ended its World Cup journey with one draw and two losses (1 point).

Starting from this tournament, the number of participating countries in the World Cup has expanded from 32 to 48. Accordingly, the top two teams from each of the 12th groups, along with the eight best-performing third-placed teams among the 12 third-place teams, will join the Round of 32. South Korea still has a chance to advance to the Round of 32.

However, suffering two defeats in the group stage is undoubtedly a disappointing result. Had South Korea finished second in Group A, they could have faced a relatively manageable opponent, Canada, in the Round of 32. However, the loss to South Africa caused them to miss the opportunity to qualify for the Round of 32 on their own, and they now must wait for the results of other groups.

Among these, Seol Young-woo's side announced through official channels after the South Africa match that they would respond legally to malicious comments.

Seol Young-woo has been playing as a starting defender for the South Korean national team in this tournament. However, during the group stage, he was plagued by excessive criticism and malicious comments. In particular, after the second match loss to Mexico, negative reactions from some fans intensified, and malicious comments wishing for injuries that could be fatal to his playing career reportedly emerged. The targets included not only the player himself but also his acquaintances and family.

Seol Young-woo's side stated, "Opinions and evaluations on performance are part of sports, and constructive criticism and diverse opinions are important elements of a healthy sports culture." However, they added, "However, it has been confirmed that some recent comments and messages clearly exceed the scope of healthy opinion expression, including profanity, personal attacks, defamation, and the spread of false information."

They further emphasized, "Such behavior cannot be justified under any circumstances. It can cause serious harm not only to the individual player but also to their family and those around them."

Seol Young-woo's side explained that they are continuously monitoring relevant posts and comments. They also stated that they will respond strongly without leniency to illegal acts such as malicious defamation, personal attacks, and the spread of false information.

Seol Young-woo, who came from Ulsan HD in the professional K League, joined the prestigious Serbian club Red Star Belgrade in the summer of 2024. In this World Cup, he started all three group stage matches. Against South Africa, he recorded 57 ball touches, 3 defensive plays, 2 clearances, 2 header clearances, and 2 tackles.

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*This content was translated by AI.