South Korea's Seol Young-woo vows 'no leniency' against online abuse, defamation

South Korea national team defender Seol Young-woo has announced through his agent that he will take strong legal action against malicious online attacks targeting him.

Sporti Project, Seol's agency, issued a statement on Instagram on Thursday — shortly after South Korea's 2026 World Cup group-stage match against South Africa on Wednesday — warning that it would respond "firmly and without leniency" to any unlawful conduct, including malicious defamation, personal attacks and the spread of false information directed at the player.

"Constructive criticism and diverse opinions are an important part of a healthy sports culture," the agency said, but added that some recent comments and messages had "clearly exceeded the bounds of legitimate expression, containing profanity, personal attacks, defamation and false claims."

The agency added that "such behavior cannot be justified under any circumstances" and warned it could cause serious harm not only to the player personally but also to his family and those close to him.

The agency said it is actively monitoring related posts and will take a hard line against any malicious defamation or personal attacks.

Seol started Wednesday's match against South Africa as a defender. South Korea's chances of advancing to the round of 32 are now in doubt after the team's loss to South Africa on Wednesday.