Kim Byung-hyun defends Hong Myung-bo, draws backlash for calling out soccer figures' manners

Former Major League Baseball pitcher Kim Byung-hyun said fellow sports figures who publicly lashed out at national soccer team head coach Hong Myung-bo following South Korea's dismal performance in the Group A third match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup had "crossed a line," adding that he found it "unfortunate as a fellow athlete."

A video titled "I'll speak my mind on the 2026 World Cup" was posted to Kim's YouTube channel on Saturday.

"I watched something on YouTube where people from the soccer world came out and said things that seemed to go too far — it grated on me," Kim said. "Expressions like 'Hong Myung-bo, get out' or 'Come on, Myung-bo' — as someone who has played sports, it bothered me to see people not observing basic decorum."

"I have never met Coach Hong personally, so please don't misunderstand — I know I'll get criticized for this, and I'm saying it fully prepared for that," he added.

The remarks came after former national team goalkeeper Kim Young-gwang drew attention during a TikTok live stream by chanting "Hong Myung-bo, get out" while discussing South Korea's group-stage situation at the World Cup.

"An ordinary fan or someone who wants change in Korean soccer can use that kind of language," Kim said, "but we are people who played sports together. The fact that a much younger player — someone who also represented the national team — would use those words goes against the basic standards I was taught as an athlete. That's what bothered me."

He said he made the video because he did not want "this kind of extreme culture spreading as if it were nothing," and expressed hope that South Korean society would pull back from such extremes. "I don't want this culture to be passed down from generation to generation as if it were perfectly normal," he said.

"I have taken pride in the discipline, etiquette and manners that come with being an athlete — I hope those things are maintained," he added.

Kim said that even criticism should stay within bounds. "You could say, 'Coach Hong, thank you for your hard work. Perhaps it's time for someone else … ' — but even that crosses a line," he said, urging those who act as public voices, not just ordinary fans, to refrain from using informal, disrespectful language.

The video drew a wave of critical comments, however. Viewers wrote things such as "This is how scary old-fashioned thinking can be," "So this is why people like Hong Myung-bo keep getting these jobs," "I can't even imagine how much criticism he must be inviting," and "You'd be better off staying quiet."

After Hong announced his resignation Sunday at a press conference in Mexico — footage of him walking out with his hands in his pockets sparked further controversy — new comments appeared on Kim's video, including "How respectful of him to hold a press conference with his hands in his pockets" and "After watching Hong's press conference, there's no way you can say what Kim said."