"Passionate Koreans, calm down! This is just football"... Chinese media shocked by the scene of Hong Myung-bo's arrival amid a flood of insults

*This content was translated by AI.

A Chinese media outlet expressed surprise at the intense anger of South Korean football fans. While it is understandable to be angry over the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup disaster, the backlash against former South Korean national team coach Hong Myung-bo has gone beyond common sense.

The Xinhua News Agency-affiliated social media account "New Tan Qin" posted on June 30 under the title "South Korea, this has gone too far," stating, "South Korean football left the worst record in World Cup history and was eliminated bitterly. The fierce reactions from all sectors of South Korean society have shocked the world. It seems as if South Korean football fans are ready to eat the national team alive and serve them as appetizers." The outlet pointed out the intensity of the criticism from South Korean football fans.

It further reported, "South Korean football has not simply lost a match; it seems as if they have committed an unforgivable crime. Losing reputation and position is a minor matter. There is a growing atmosphere of legal punishment, social burial, and even holding family members and those around them accountable."

The media said it somewhat understands the anger of South Korean football fans. New Tan Qin explained, "The national team, which had high expectations, collapsed miserably. They even lost 0-1 to South Africa, which was far behind in the FIFA rankings, so the disappointment, frustration, and anger of South Korean fans are fully understandable. Considering the fiery national character of Koreans, this is even more the case."

However, it also noted, "Treating a loss in a football match as 'betrayal' has already gone far beyond the scope of sports. It feels like a social outlet for emotional outbursts."

Under the leadership of former coach Hong, South Korea recorded its worst-ever World Cup performance, finishing 34th overall, and suffered the tragedy of being eliminated in the group stage. Although it was evaluated that they were drawn into Group A with opponents worth challenging, including host nation Mexico, Czech Republic, and South Africa, the result was one win and two losses, finishing third in the group. In particular, South Korea suffered a fatal blow by losing 0-1 to South Africa in the final third match, where a draw would have been enough to advance to the round of 32 as the second-place team in Group A.

This tournament allowed not only the top two teams from each group but also the eight best-performing third-place teams among the 12 third-place teams to advance to the round of 32. However, South Korea finished only 10th in the third-place rankings. Ultimately, they could not even reach the tournament stage and ended their North American World Cup journey. After it was confirmed that the group stage elimination was inevitable, former coach Hong held a press conference and announced his resignation.

However, the anger of South Korean football fans did not subside easily. At the scene of former coach Hong's return, severe insults and criticism poured out. Former coach Hong and some players returned home the previous day via Incheon International Airport. Despite the early hour, a crowd of over 300 people gathered, and before the national team even appeared at the arrival hall, harsh insults were followed by shouts of "Hong Myung-bo, get out."

Former coach Hong showed no particular reaction. With a stern expression, he stared straight ahead and headed toward the exit. Some football fans continued to express strong dissatisfaction by shouting "Hong Myung-bo, get out" until the moment the coach and players boarded the bus. Shouting mixed with insults and profanity continued.

New Tan Qin mentioned not only the hostile scene of former coach Hong's arrival but also the fact that some Korean restaurants and shops posted signs saying "No entry for Hong Myung-bo," the official statement by the South Korean national team supporters "Red Devils" demanding that former coach Hong "leave the football world forever," President Lee Jae-myung criticizing the North American World Cup failure and the national team, and even threats of assassination made before former coach Hong's arrival, stating, "Each and every one of these is truly shocking."

The media introduced, "Coach Hong Myung-bo was once a hero of South Korea. In the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, he was one of the key players who led the South Korean national team to a historic semi-final appearance."

It also pointed out, "However, when he took over as the national team coach in 2014, South Korea did not reach the tournament stage. In fact, they did not record a single win. Because of this, when coach Hong Myung-bo became the national team commander again in 2024, many people rose up."

Former coach Hong also led the South Korean national team at the 2014 Brazil World Cup but was eliminated in the group stage with one draw and two losses. Even in the North American World Cup, where he took command of the national team again after 10 years, he could not avoid the same outcome.

However, the media pointed out that even in this disaster, the criticism from South Korean football fans is close to a "cruel witch hunt." New Tan Qin explained, "South Korea has seen greater crises. The South Korean national team is gradually collapsing, and the gap with the Japanese national team is widening. It is difficult for coach Hong Myung-bo, the commander, to avoid responsibility for poor performance. There may be problems in training and tactics as well."

It also stated, "But if we think more deeply, is this the problem of just one coach? It is likely a problem of the entire South Korean national team. When a system collapses, it is never the fault of just one person. However, the public is accustomed to dumping all the blame on the most visible person." It further strongly described the excessive criticism by saying, "Koreans' saliva is enough to drown a person."

Finally, the media called for calmness from South Korean football fans. New Tan Qin questioned, "South Korean football fans must be calm. After all, this is a sports match. While investigations should be conducted, if we turn it into a life-or-death struggle and use any means necessary, how can we call it football?"

It added, "Of course, defeat is not good. But not being able to accept defeat is even worse. How many countries in the world cannot even participate in the World Cup right now? If South Korean fans are this angry, how would the Italian national team feel? Even the Chinese national team would not know where to put their face."

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*This content was translated by AI.