In the end, he expressed his apology.
Kim Min-jae, the center back of the South Korean national soccer team, attended a press conference in advance on the 9th (Korea time) ahead of the second Group B match of the third Asian qualifying round for the FIFA 2026 World Cup in North Korea and the U.S. And when asked about his actions in the match against Palestine on the 5th, he said, “I don’t think it’s wrong to go to the audience and ask for it, but I think I’m wrong about what I did after that.”
He added, “There is no problem with my bare skin. However, I think it was an opportunity to think about how to take care of the relationship with the fans in the future. I saw an article that said fans will not boo in the future. I am grateful, and I am sorry for my actions and I am reflecting on myself.”
The match against Palestine held at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 5th created a lot of buzz. First of all, this was the first game since head coach Hong Myung-bo’s return to the national team.
However, Hong Myung-bo has taken the helm with much controversy. The Korea Football Association (KFA) set up a committee to search for a new coach after replacing Jurgen Klinsmann, the former coach, in February. However, the committee could not find a new coach for as long as five months. Meanwhile, Chung Hae-sung, chairman of the KFA, abruptly announced his intention to step down. In response, the KFA gave technical director Lee Im-saeng full control over the appointment.
In this situation, director Lee Im-saeng chose Hong Myung-bo as his choice. Soccer fans are very angry at this. The reason was that the existing process for appointing a coach collapsed. In addition, whenever Hong was named as a new candidate for the national soccer team, he criticized the Korea Football Association, strongly denying the rumor of appointment. However, he was offered the position of coach for the national team, and soccer fans felt tremendously betrayed by Hong.
As a result, soccer fans who visited the Seoul World Cup Stadium before the start of the Palestinian match booed Hong Myung-bo when he was introduced. This is not all. Whenever Hong Myung-bo appeared on the electronic display, the audience constantly booed him.
Here, Kim Min-jae made an unexpected move. After the game, he approached the Red Devils, the official supporters of the Korean national soccer team, and delivered a message, “Please cheer for us. Please support us.” Kim Min-jae then met with reporters at the joint coverage area (mix zone) and explained the reason for the unexpected move.
“We didn’t do it from the beginning. There are people who distorted it and come to my social network service (SNS) and say that. We didn’t do it from the beginning,” he explained. “I think there are people who want us to do it badly. I’m a little sorry for the people who support us, and that’s what I said. I didn’t say it aggressively at all,” he explained.
When asked immediately, “Do you know that Yayu is directed at coach Hong Myung-bo and the Korea Football Association?” he replied, “I hope you don’t take it seriously, but I hope those who take it that way.”
As the reporters asked, the home fans’ booing was definitely directed at Hong Myung-bo and the Korea Football Association. Kim Min-jae was also aware of this. In the end, it is interpreted that Kim Min-jae was dissatisfied with the stadium filled with boos.
Immediately, soccer fans strongly criticized Kim. With criticism pouring in on coach Hong Myung-bo and the Korea Football Association, it has offended the fans. It has also intensified the controversy as Kim was spotted not greeting some fans, according to a video circulating on social media.
In response, the Red Devils submitted their statement through their official SNS. “The result of yesterday’s match is also the result, but it seems that other issues are becoming more controversial after the match,” the Red Devils said.
“After the game ended, Kim Min-jae came to the N-seat and asked them to cheer for him briefly, before leaving. There was no war of words between the players and the spectators. The Red Devils are the place where they can voice their voices best and pay attention to the lack of fairness and common sense of the KFA over the past few months. And thinking that the players, who are the essence of the Red Devils and the reason for their existence, should cheer for them, they ran and cried with the players behind the N-seat goalpost for 90 minutes.” 스포츠토토
Next, he pointed out Kim Min-jae’s remarks, saying, “Our jeers and protests are protests and jeers against the association, which is consistent with lies, and the coach who has lost his faith. If you truly think of the players and the Korean people, the association should respond to them. From the moment the Red Devil was born to the present, I have been with the players all the moments, and I have not cheered at any moment ‘in hopes of not doing well’ or ‘wishing to lose’.
As the wavelength grew, Kim Min-jae attended a press conference ahead of the Oman match and eventually expressed his apology.