Protest with 20 Thai Flags Hung
Anger Echoes Across Sangambul 'Surprise Performance'
"KFA Uses Players as Shields"
The match between South Korea and Thailand, the third match of Group C in the second round of the 2026 CONCACAF World Cup Asian qualifiers, held on the 21st at Seoul World Cup Stadium. Soccer fans are holding protest signs condemning Chung Mong-gyu, the president of the Korea Football Association. [Photo by Yonhap News]
"Jung Mong-gyu Out!"
The Red Devils, the football supporters group, staged a surprise banner performance on the 21st demanding the resignation of Jung Mong-gyu, president of the Korea Football Association (KFA), and the association's leadership ahead of the match between Thailand and the South Korean national football team.
The national team, led by interim coach Hwang Sun-hong, played the third group stage match of the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup Asian second qualifying round against Thailand at 8 p.m. at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul.
Before the match started, the Red Devils shouted "Jung Mong-gyu Out." In the stands, about 20 banners were displayed with messages such as "Condemn Jung Mong-gyu's 'foolish acts'," "The association is not Mong-gyu's property," "Jung Mong-gyu Out," and "There is no future for the KFA with Mong-gyu." Banners criticizing President Jung, Vice President Lee Seok-jae, and Technical Director Hwang Bo-gwan were also seen, along with banners accusing the KFA of using players as shields.
The match between Korea and Thailand, the third match of Group C in the second round of the 2026 CONCACAF World Cup Asian qualifiers, held on the 21st at Seoul World Cup Stadium. Chung Mong-gyu, president of the Korea Football Association, is watching the game. Photo by Yonhap News
All 66,000 seats in the stands were sold out that day. President Jung also watched the football match from the stands. During the game, shouts of "Jung Mong-gyu Out" echoed several times across the field.
Earlier, after the national team was eliminated in the semifinals following a poor performance at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup in February, some football fans expressed dissatisfaction online with President Jung and the KFA's hasty administration. Immediately after the tournament elimination, voices demanding the dismissal of former coach J?rgen Klinsmann and President Jung grew louder. Subsequently, football fans protested in front of the Football Hall, condemning the association's leadership.
Before the match against Thailand, some called for a boycott of the game, but the Red Devils decided not to join the boycott in order to support the national team players. However, it is known that the Red Devils decided to express their protest about two weeks before the match. They then prepared banners and slogans.
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