JTBC World Cup commentator tracks stolen bag 20 km through Guadalajara, recovers MacBook

JTBC commentator Kim Hwan, who is covering the 2026 North America World Cup on the ground, had his bag stolen at a hotel in Guadalajara, Mexico, but recovered his MacBook after a roughly 20-km chase.

Kim disclosed the theft Wednesday on his Instagram, saying it had occurred the previous week in the lobby of a Guadalajara hotel.

"A thief hiding behind a pillar reached out and snatched the bag," Kim said. "The pillar was right in front of the front desk, and there were two guards nearby, but the hotel staff noticed nothing."

Kim said he immediately gave chase by car. "The location signal fixed on a Walmart, so we searched inside for the thief, and then the signal moved again and fixed on an empty lot behind the Walmart," he said.

Guadalajara police who responded to the scene searched through trash cans and recovered the MacBook and an iPad. Kim said he believed the thief had discarded the items and fled after realizing he was being tracked.

His wallet, identification, cards, cash, clothing, sunglasses and earphones were never recovered. The thief also left a trace the following day when an attempted payment with Kim's travel card — which had a zero balance — was declined.

Kim cautioned others against following his example. "I chased with the single-minded goal of recovering my World Cup materials, but in an area with poor public safety, it was an extremely reckless and dangerous thing to do," he said. "Please, no one else should ever pursue a thief directly."

Kim is covering the World Cup alongside JTBC anchor Bae Seong-jae and former national team captain Park Ji-sung.