Criticism Pours In on Jo Gyuseong for Missing Scoring Chance
Sports SNS Malicious Comments Repeated Every Year
On the 20th in Doha, Qatar, during the second match of the group stage in the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup, the South Korean national football team drew 2-2 with Jordan. However, striker Jo Gyu-seong's social networking service (SNS) was flooded with malicious comments, sparking controversy. On that day, Jo Gyu-seong started as the lone forward in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
However, like in the Bahrain match, he failed to score. In particular, at the 55th minute of the first half, when Lee Gi-je's long-range shot was blocked by the goalkeeper, Jo Gyu-seong took a follow-up shot, but the ball went over the crossbar, leading to criticism of his finishing ability. He was substituted off at the 24th minute of the second half for Oh Hyun-gyu (Celtic) and went to the bench. Afterward, Jo Gyu-seong's Instagram was flooded with critical comments. Most targeted his long hair or criticized his appearance, or took issue with his appearance on the MBC variety show "I Live Alone."
On the 20th (local time), the Group E second match between Jordan and Korea in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup group stage was held at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar. Cho Gyu-seong is showing regret as his shot goes wide of the goalpost. [Photo by Yonhap News]
One netizen's comment, "Jo Gyu-seong's problem is that he can't focus on football because he's worried about his hairband," received over 1,300 likes. Another comment, "Stop filming shows like 'I Live Alone' and just focus on football. It's getting annoying now," received over 1,500 likes. Other comments included, "If you search for Lee Kang-in on YouTube, you get football highlights, but if you search for Jo Gyu-seong, you get 'I Live Alone.' Are you a variety show star? People compliment your looks, and you lose your mind, growing your hair out, fixing your hair during the game, and wearing a headband. It's really maddening," "I knew it from when he appeared on variety shows," and "Is he suffering from celebrity syndrome? Please just focus on your main job."
There were also opinions urging restraint from criticizing Jo Gyu-seong excessively. Comments like "No matter what, it's not right to curse at a national team player instead of supporting them," and "Let's keep the malicious comments moderate" received about 300 likes.
Indiscriminate malicious comments directed at athletes have long been a chronic problem in the sports world. Especially in popular sports like football and baseball, which receive nationwide attention, players face much stronger pressure. During the 2007 Beijing Olympics, Ki Sung-yueng received a flood of malicious comments on his Cyworld mini homepage after failing to score against Uzbekistan. In response, Ki Sung-yueng wrote on Cyworld, "If you're frustrated, why don't you go play yourselves?" which became a hot topic.
The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and the International Professional Footballers' Association implemented a service before the 2022 Qatar World Cup that reports malicious comments posted on players' or teams' social media accounts. The purpose is to help players perform at their best in matches by protecting them from online derogatory remarks and threats.
After the match, Jo Gyu-seong expressed his regret, saying, "I should have shown a better performance. I feel very sorry for the players who couldn't play. It was a match full of regrets." Meanwhile, the South Korean team will play the final group stage match against Malaysia, led by coach Kim Pan-gon, on the 25th. The final group ranking of South Korea will be determined based on the result of the third match.
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