Senior and junior players clash, igniting soccer fans' fury... "Hong Myung-bo, step down": Kim Byung-hyun, who targeted Kim Young-gwang, issues 'public apology'

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Byung-hyun, a former Major League Baseball pitcher who had made a principled statement claiming criticism toward former South Korea national team coach Hong Myung-bo "had gone too far," issued a public apology as the controversy intensified.

On the 13th, Kim uploaded a video titled "Met directly with an angry soccer fan after comments on the Kim Young-gwang-Hong Myung-bo World Cup controversy" to his YouTube channel, "Kim Byung-hyun."

In the video, Kim stated, "I never intended to hurt soccer fans. Unfortunately, my words were misunderstood." He added, "While I stand firmly by my beliefs regarding senior-junior relationships, I admit it was ignorance that I spoke without fully understanding the context."

He continued, "Speaking to someone representing fans without knowing the full history and mentioning senior-junior relationships, I fully understand and acknowledge the soccer fans' reaction."

Previously, in a video titled "[Unedited Version] I'm Making My Principled Statement on the 2026 World Cup" released last month on his YouTube channel, Kim raised concerns about the intensity of criticism from junior figures in the soccer community toward former coach Hong.

At that time, he said, "I am not a soccer person; I am simply someone who supports South Korean soccer. I have never met Coach Hong Myung-bo personally," yet added, "After the South Africa World Cup ended, I felt it was regrettable as a sportsman."

He further stated, "There were still scenarios where we could advance to the Round of 32, but when junior figures in the soccer community made remarks that seemed to cross the line, it sounded harsh to my ears."

The South Korea national team led by former coach Hong failed to meet expectations at the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup.

South Korea was drawn into Group A alongside Mexico, Czechia, and South Africa. Immediately after the draw, they were assessed as having been placed in a relatively manageable group, but they recorded one win and two losses (three points) in the group stage, finishing third in their group.

As poor results continued, criticism toward former coach Hong intensified. Not only soccer fans but also former national team players expressed strong dissatisfaction.

Kim Young-gwang, a former national team goalkeeper, sparked controversy by chanting "Hong Myung-bo, step down" during a TikTok live broadcast while discussing the World Cup group stage situation.

Kim Byung-hyun's comments were interpreted as targeting this incident. At that time, he said, "I believe any ordinary fan could easily say 'Hong Myung-bo, step down,' but for someone who is a distant junior in the soccer community and has lived with Ham Kke (CEO) team to use such expressions feels like it violates the basic principles of an athlete I have learned and reflected upon."

He also added, "I felt that someone had to voice this opinion. I am speaking ready to be criticized."

However, after the comments were made public, fierce criticism from soccer fans continued. Critics pointed out that Kim Byung-hyun had emphasized only senior-junior relationships without properly understanding the background and process of the controversy surrounding former coach Hong. Numerous critical comments were also posted on the video itself.

Kim Byung-hyun himself admitted, "This is the first time I have received so many comments," acknowledging shortcomings in his remarks and bowing his head.

He further stated, "I had no intention of defending anyone. This is not a forced apology. I sincerely want to apologize to soccer fans who were hurt because I spoke without fully understanding the entire process."

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*This content was translated by AI.