Broadcaster Jeon Hyun-moo vows to bring 'festival atmosphere' to first World Cup commentary role

Broadcaster Jeon Hyun-moo has shared his resolve ahead of his debut as a KBS soccer commentator.

A press conference for KBS's coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup was held Tuesday afternoon at KBS Art Hall in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Former soccer player Lee Young-pyo, broadcaster Jeon Hyun-moo and announcer Nam Hyeon-jong attended the event.

The North America World Cup kicks off June 11 (local time) and runs through July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico. KBS will broadcast 91 of the tournament's 104 matches live on KBS2, including all of South Korea's group-stage games and major marquee matchups.

At the press conference, Jeon quipped that a successful World Cup broadcast was essential to his chances of winning the KBS Entertainment Award for a second consecutive year.

"I'm a newcomer as a commentator. I've been handed a heavy responsibility," he said. "Every day has been filled with a tension and pressure different from what I feel doing variety shows. Fortunately, it seems people are looking forward to our team rather than worrying about us, and that gives me strength as I prepare. I'm working hard to make it a festival. Whatever I lack, I plan to make up for with energy and momentum."

Jeon also recalled how he came to accept KBS's offer. "I didn't think it was my place. There had been offers since 2014, but I turned them down because I didn't think it suited me," he said. "This year marks my 20th year at KBS, and the atmosphere felt different from other times. I thought maybe I could be of some help, so I accepted after 12 years."

He added that his mindset had changed. "What's different from back then is my attitude. People these days don't seem to feel the energy from when Lee Young-pyo was playing in 2002, so I'm going in a little like a jester," he said. "I'm not sure how much help I'll be, but I'm going to try to lift the festival spirit."

Jeon was candid about the link between the broadcast and the entertainment award. "I won the KBS Entertainment Award last year, and I won't pretend I'm not hoping to win two consecutive years — I always am, and I'm still working toward it," he said to laughter. He added that the World Cup coverage was directly tied to his chances. "If this goes badly, it won't matter how well I do everything else — they won't give it to me," he said. Drawing a comparison to the national team, he noted: "I feel the same way as the Hong Myung-bo side. If I make a few mistakes but the team does well, people will understand — but if not, every word I say will become a problem. I realized I'd been caught thinking out loud, so I ended up being more honest than I intended," he said, drawing more laughter.

Meanwhile, the South Korean national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, opens its World Cup campaign against the Czech Republic on June 12 at 11 a.m. The team then faces Mexico on June 19 at 10 a.m. and South Africa on June 25 at 10 a.m. in the remaining group-stage matches.

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