'A dramatic comeback' — Lawmaker hails Oh Hyeon-gyu as 'pride of Namyangju' after World Cup winner

After Oh Hyeon-gyu scored the winning goal to give South Korea a comeback victory over the Czech Republic at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Choi Min-hee said she was "bursting with pride."

Choi, who represents Namyangju-gap in Gyeonggi Province, posted on social media Friday that Oh — a Namyangju native — was the hero of the team's 2-1 comeback win in their Group A opener.

"He graduated from Maseok Elementary School, and his parents run a restaurant in Hopyeong," she said. "As the lawmaker for this constituency, my heart is full."

Oh's parents operate a loach soup restaurant in Namyangju. In an interview with JTBC in March, Oh said he grew up eating rice in loach soup at an age when most children were still on baby food.

Choi recalled the tension of the match, saying her heart sank when the Czech Republic appeared to score from a set piece while the game was tied 1-1 — only for the goal to be ruled out for offside. "Right after that, Oh Hyeon-gyu received a perfectly weighted pass from Hwang In-beom and put away the winner," she said.

"Thanks to that, we were treated to a truly thrilling, drama-like contest," she said, adding that she was grateful to Oh and the entire World Cup squad for delivering "a precious victory to the nation" on Friday.

She added that she hoped the whole country would cheer just as passionately for the team's next match against Mexico and wished the players well.

Oh scored the decisive goal in the 80th minute at Guadalajara Stadium in Jalisco, Mexico, to seal a 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic on Friday.

Four years ago he was a reserve who wore a numberless jersey, but on Friday he took the field wearing No. 18, coming on as a second-half substitute for Son Heung-min.

Speaking to reporters after the match, Oh said the moment was beyond words. "Honestly, I was feeling really unwell before the game on Friday," he said. "My fever climbed to 38 degrees Celsius and I kept wondering whether I'd be able to play."

"Just playing in the World Cup is something I'm moved by and grateful for," he said. "The manager gave me the chance, I scored and we won — as a striker, I'm just relieved and thankful."