"‘Happiness Is Not About Grades’ Taeguk Warriors·Kim Min-kyung... Overflowing Praise"

Falling Down, Getting Up Again... "Great Comfort from the Taeguk Warriors"
From Comedian to National Athlete Kim Min-kyung, Lower Rankings but Hopeful 'I Can Do It Too'

On the 6th, citizens participating in the street cheering event set up at Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul, are passionately cheering during the Round of 16 match between South Korea and Brazil in the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Although Korean soccer was helplessly defeated by the world’s strongest Brazil and sadly gave up the dream of reaching the World Cup quarterfinals on foreign soil for the first time in history, encouragement and high praise continue to pour in rather than criticism of the match result. Comedian Kim Min-kyung also recorded a low ranking in the shooting competition where she competed wearing the Taegeuk mark, but she too received an outpouring of support. Sports matches have only winners and losers, but now the focus is on the players’ dedication and effort, and they are being praised for it.

Previously, Korea was eliminated early after being judged to have performed the worst ever at the 2014 Brazil World Cup. The national team, led by then head coach Hong Myung-bo, returned through Incheon Airport and while waiting for a commemorative photo, some fans showered them with pumpkin candy with the phrase "Eat this! Eat this!" Some interpreted this as a condensed expression of the public’s anger toward Korean soccer.

Also, after a brief press conference with coach Hong and captains Koo Ja-cheol and Son Heung-min, fans displayed a banner with black letters saying, "Condolences. Korean soccer is dead!!" Seeing this, the national team players lowered their heads with bitter expressions.

Later, in an interview with the press, Son Heung-min looked at the candy and said, "Should I eat this candy?" Son said, "Players, coaching staff, and fans all probably think the same. After the game, I took some personal time to think a lot. I feel responsible for not achieving good results as a Korean player in the World Cup. All the players feel the same," expressing his regret.

"Received Great Comfort" Praise Poured on the Taegeuk Warriors

However, the fans’ attitude shown at the 2022 Qatar World Cup matured significantly. Regardless of the match results, they applauded the players’ efforts.

In particular, when the Taegeuk Warriors defeated the European powerhouse Portugal and wrote the dramatic "Miracle of Doha," and Son Heung-min showed fighting spirit despite the discomfort of wearing a facial guard, netizens posted on various online communities, "It’s not just a soccer game, but I received great comfort from the players who showed a miracle," "Sports have only winners and losers, but because there are players who made blood, sweat, and tears in the process, it’s okay to lose," and "I gain strength by watching the players."

Also, on the early morning of the 6th, when Korea lost 1-4 to Brazil, despite the cold weather of minus 3 degrees Celsius and snowfall, about 33,000 Red Devils gathered at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul and united their voices to cheer for the Korean soccer national team that showed fighting spirit.

Kim Min-kyung is carefully shooting in the production division of the '2022 International Practical Shooting Confederation Handgun World Shoot.' Photo by IHQ Babayo

There is another player who received voices of support regardless of performance. Comedian Kim Min-kyung ranked 51st in the women’s division at the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) competition wearing the Taegeuk mark. According to IPSC on the 7th, Kim Min-kyung ranked 51st out of 52 female competitors at the ‘2022 IPSC Handgun World Shoot’ held in Thailand starting on the 19th of last month. She ranked 333rd out of 341 overall.

Although Kim Min-kyung’s final ranking was low, she received praise for the great achievement of participating in an international competition just about a year after learning practical shooting. Director Kim Jun-ki of IPS KOREA praised her, saying, "Her result is better than the first competition I ever participated in." Netizens also gave favorable reviews such as "Kim Min-kyung endured a tough journey well, truly amazing," "I gain hope by watching Kim Min-kyung," and "Her appearance giving her best every moment is cool."

Eventually, according to the ‘December Entertainment and Broadcaster Brand Reputation’ announced by the Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute on the 3rd, Kim Min-kyung topped the brand reputation ranking, surpassing Yoo Jae-suk. The previous top stars in reputation were global stars like BTS and BLACKPINK. Considering this, it shows how much praise Kim Min-kyung’s endless efforts are receiving. Her efforts are also evaluated as having given hope to many who had not challenged themselves due to prejudice around them or their own inferiority complex.

Experts analyzed that the evaluation based solely on results in an overly competitive society is shifting to placing higher value on how much effort was made to achieve those results.

Cultural critic Jung Deok-hyun explained, "In the past, so-called ‘result-oriented’ thinking was strong. Everything was evaluated or judged based on the outcome. But looking at the recent social atmosphere, there is more focus on how the process was."

He added, "This World Cup match was actually very dramatic in its process, and we saw many instances of our players overcoming injuries. People now value that process (doing their best) more than the result."

Critic Jang said, "While cheering for players and others, it is ultimately also cheering for oneself. In a highly competitive society, even if one is not recognized due to poor results, it is a desire to be acknowledged that ‘I worked hard enough.’"