The Place Hwang Hee-chan Rushed to Right After Returning Home... Grandmother and Grandfather's House

Scoring the Winning Goal Against Portugal, He Kissed the Wrist Engraved with Grandmother and Grandfather's Names
Upon Returning Home, He Visited His Grandparents and Presented Them with the 'Best Player Award' Trophy

[Asia Economy Culture Young Intern Reporter] Hwang Hee-chan, who succeeded in advancing South Korea to the round of 16 in the 2022 Qatar World Cup match against Portugal, visited the protagonist of his 'wrist kiss' celebration as soon as he returned home. It was his grandparents who raised him during his childhood.

The South Korean national football team returned home through Incheon International Airport at 4:50 PM on the 7th. The team returned triumphantly amid loud applause and warm welcomes from numerous citizens gathered at the airport.

That evening, Hwang Hee-chan posted a photo on Instagram showing him sitting between his grandmother and grandfather in his uniform. He ran straight to his grandparents' house holding the trophy as soon as he returned. His grandmother was holding the red 'Player of the Match' trophy he received after scoring the comeback goal against Portugal.

On the morning of the 3rd (Korean time), Hwang Hee-chan, who scored the comeback winning goal in the third match of Group H in the 2022 Qatar World Cup held at Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, is greeting fans. The names of his grandparents are engraved in Chinese characters on his left wrist. Photo by Yonhap News

After scoring the comeback goal against Portugal, Hwang Hee-chan took off his uniform and raised both arms high. Then, as the game resumed, he returned to the halfway line and briefly kissed his wrist. This was a gesture he had shown before when scoring goals.

On his left wrist, six Chinese characters are tattooed, which are the names of his grandparents. Having grown up in the hands of his grandparents during his childhood, Hwang Hee-chan had their names, handwritten by them, tattooed exactly on his wrist.

Earlier, when he appeared on MBC's 'News Desk' in 2018, he said, "My grandparents are my entire life and everything," adding, "I transferred the handwriting my grandparents wrote by themselves directly onto my tattoo. When I score goals, I think a lot about my grandmother and grandfather. I always keep them in my heart and play with the feeling of running together, which is why I got the tattoo," expressing his deep filial piety.

Meanwhile, after returning to Incheon International Airport, Hwang Hee-chan said in an interview, "The World Cup has just ended, and as a citizen of South Korea, I want to enjoy the results," adding, "I want to improve and show good performances not only in the national team but also in my club team." He continued, "In the third match, I wanted to contribute to the team no matter what," and added, "I was happy to be able to go to the round of 16 with a goal, and I was proud to be a Korean citizen."