Japanese broadcaster on Hong Myung-bo: "Hearings because we lost the World Cup? That's abnormal"... Shocked by Korean public opinion, saying "Only the coaches and players are pitiful"

*This content was translated by AI.

A famous Japanese broadcaster has drawn attention by claiming that South Korea's critical public sentiment toward former national team coach Hong Myung-bo has gone too far.

According to a report by Japan's 'Nikkan Sports' on the 3rd, Kazushige Nagashima (60), a broadcaster and former professional baseball player, appeared on TV Asahi's 'Hattori Shinichi Morning Show' to share his views on the recent controversies surrounding South Korea's football community.

The South Korean national team led by Coach Hong Myung-bo managed only one win and two losses in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, finishing third in Group A and failing to advance to the round of 32. Consequently, fans are fiercely criticizing not only former coach Hong's leadership but also his selection process and the administration of the Korea Football Association (KFA). In response, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has launched a special audit of the KFA, and discussions are even underway to hold hearings at the National Assembly level.

Nagashima commented on South Korea's harsh atmosphere, stating, "(The South Korean sports scene) has strong support not only in football but also in baseball," while adding that "the intensity of criticism when losing is excessively large." He further evaluated that it seems to have gone beyond the Japanese sense of watching or supporting sports.

Especially regarding the mention of National Assembly hearings, he said, "It's hard to imagine a hearing being held just because a team lost," and defended the situation by noting that "simply qualifying for the World Cup is an extraordinary achievement." He continued, "The players and coaches gave their all on the field and only lost; yet the arrows of anger are directed at the coach," expressing his view that the criticism aimed at former coach Hong is excessively harsh.

He also argued that political involvement in the matter is underpinned by 'political calculations.' Nagashima claimed, "They seem to think that holding a hearing will boost their approval ratings," and asserted that they are shifting responsibility onto others while directing public anger toward the coaches. He added, "It doesn't look healthy, and frankly, I feel sorry for the coaches and players."

Finally, he warned, "If this continues, it will become even more difficult to appoint the next coach," and urged, "This may be just a view held by some citizens, but I hope they think about it once again." He concluded by adding, "The prominence of such critical behavior is not a good thing for South Korea as a nation."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.