Actor Han Jung-su slams South Korea's World Cup loss to South Africa, calls for Hong Myung-bo's salary to be seized

Actor Han Jung-su lashed out at the South Korean national football team following its shocking loss to South Africa at the World Cup, directing sharp criticism at head coach Hong Myung-bo.

On Thursday, Han posted on his Instagram and Facebook accounts, writing, "They gathered the best players and put on the worst performance in history," and added, "Hong Myung-bo has made me hate football."

Targeting Hong directly, Han wrote, "I have never seen a coach this bad. Is disciplinary action impossible? The coach's salary should be seized. It seems he clung to the position purely for the money. I hate this more than politics. The worst World Cup match ever."

He also expressed fierce anger, writing, "A football match that makes you want to commit violence. Zero tactics, incomprehensible player selection, blaming the players to the very end."

South Korea lost 0-1 to South Africa in their Group A third-round match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, played Thursday morning at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico. Football fans were left deeply disappointed not only by the defeat itself but by the team's listless display — South Korea failed to register a single shot on target in the first half and managed only three across the entire match.

The loss left South Korea with a record of one win and two defeats, placing them third in Group A and leaving their round-of-32 berth unconfirmed. They can still advance through the wild-card system, which selects the best third-place finishers from each group.