Yale professor praises Son Heung-min as 'role model for the next generation'

After South Korea captain Son Heung-min posted a public apology for the national team's poor showing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Na Jong-ho, a psychiatry professor at Yale University, left a comment calling Son "a role model for the next generation."

On Tuesday, Son posted a lengthy apology on his social media accounts, opening with the words: "I don't know where to begin."

"First and foremost, I want to sincerely apologize to the people of South Korea and to all the fans who love this sport," he wrote. "This tournament meant more to me than anything. It feels as though the stage I have always called 'the dream of a child' has come crashing down, and I am left with a heartache I cannot put into words."

Son added that he felt a deep sense of responsibility for failing to repay the support and love he had received. "I will do my best, back in my place, to win back the hearts of football fans," he wrote. "I will run with everything I have to bring you joy."

Responding in the comments, Professor Na said he had always admired Son's tears on the pitch. "But seeing you so utterly spent after the final match — too drained even to cry — broke my heart," he wrote.

Na went on to offer encouragement. "I am always cheering for you. Thank you for showing the children who are growing up what a wonderful adult looks like," he wrote. "I believe Son, the other players, and all of us as a nation can overcome this hardship and grow even stronger."

Na is also known to television audiences for his appearance on the tvN variety program Yu Quiz on the Block.

South Korea finished third in Group A after losing 1-0 to South Africa on June 25, and was subsequently eliminated from the round of 32 when a series of results elsewhere failed to go its way.