Ex-captain Ki Sung-yueng calls on Korean football community to reflect and reform

Ki Sung-yueng, a former captain of the South Korea national football team, has called on those in the sport to reflect and reform following the team's dismal performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America.

A preview clip posted Friday to the official YouTube channel of tvN variety show Yu Quiz on the Block featured actor Kim Kang-woo and footballer Ki Sung-yueng — brothers-in-law — as upcoming guests.

In the clip, Ki said he had traveled to Mexico to watch the World Cup in person, leaving after only the first match — against the Czech Republic. "When I came back, the mood was still good. We were talking about whether we'd advance in first place or second," he said.

He added that he had spent time with the players to encourage them. "But seeing it end like this, as someone who has been through it, I feel a deep sense of regret — and I fully understand the disappointment felt by the public," Ki said. "I think Korean football needs a lot of reform going forward."

In a separate interview with the production team, Ki stressed that "people in football need to wake up. There needs to be a lot of soul-searching."

He went on to say, "I am part of the football world too, but I find myself wondering whether I have really done enough — or anything at all — for Korean football. I've been thinking about it a lot lately."

Ki captained the national team from January 2015 before passing the armband to Son Heung-min in 2018 and retiring from international duty the following year. In January 2019, he announced his retirement, saying, "I felt that my continued presence was holding back change in the squad."