"Worst coach Hong Myung-bo" stars furious.. Seol Young-woo hints at suing cyberbullies [Star Issue] [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.

As South Korea suffered a shocking 0-1 defeat to South Africa (Republic of South Africa) in the World Cup, fierce criticism has erupted in the entertainment industry against coach Hong Myung-bo. Meanwhile, national team defender Seol Young-woo has hinted at legal action against cyberbullies.

On the 25th at 10 a.m. (Korean time), the final Group A match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Americas, North America, and Caribbean qualifiers between South Korea and South Africa was held at Estadio Monterrey in Guadalupe, Mexico.

The match result saw Hong Myung-bo's team suffer a bitter 0-1 defeat to South Africa. South Korea displayed tactical flaws and struggled throughout, eventually facing a humiliating situation where foreign media labeled it a "shocking defeat," "a miserable failure," and a "shocking upset."

In response, the entire nation expressed anger, and strong criticism poured in from the entertainment industry. Han Jeong-su publicly criticized coach Hong Myung-bo as a "worst coach." He stated, "They showed the worst game in history with the best players. There was no tactic, inexplicable player selection, and a tendency to blame the players until the end. This truly shows what a worst coach is. It wasn't like this even during the 1954 Switzerland World Cup. I'm starting to hate soccer now. Is Hong Myung-bo part of the South African team?" he raised his voice.

Yoon Doo-joon, a member of Highlight (BEAST) and actor known as a famous "soccer fanatic" in the entertainment industry, also responded coldly. He said, "I can't believe it. Is this a dream?" and added, "I have many things to say, but I won't say them. I'm afraid of making a mistake. Our status has never been like this, and it's regrettable."

Kim Yoon-jae, who appeared on JTBC's dating reality program "Love Siblings," poured scorn on coach Hong Myung-bo's tactical skills, saying, "Incompetence is an insult. A historically incompetent coach."

Especially, "Ha-beo-ji" (Overseas Soccer Father), Korean soccer legend Park Ji-sung, also sent an unusually sharp criticism. As a JTBC commentator who had continued with calm analysis, he pointed out after the South Africa match, "We need to reconsider whether this was a game played with the intention to win." Park Ji-sung said, "It was not clear how they intended to attack. I wonder if they were not negligent in preparing for the World Cup." He added, "We had enough time to reflect on the mistakes made in the 2014 World Cup. However, it seems that this time the preparation process and results are repeating that same pattern. Even though there is still a possibility of reaching the Round of 32, I am not confident that they can show a good performance on that stage with the current level of play." He could not hide his disappointment at the lack of progress.

In this context, player Seol Young-woo drew public attention by posting a notice about suing cyberbullies on his official SNS account one hour after the South Africa match ended.

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, 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 facts. Such behavior cannot be justified under any circumstances. This can cause serious harm not only to the player personally but also to his family and those around him. We are continuously monitoring related posts and comments, and we plan to take a firm and uncompromising response against illegal acts such as malicious slander, personal attacks, and the spread of false facts."

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*This content was translated by AI.