Despite Winning Against Oman, Malicious Comments Cross the Line Targeting Own Goal Player and Family

Criticism of Performance Crossed the Line, Experts Say

There are concerns that some fans have crossed the line in their attacks on players of the South Korean national football team. Criticism of Jeong Seung-hyun (Al Wasl), who scored an own goal in the second leg of the third round of the 2026 CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers, has extended beyond the player himself to include attacks on his family.

Earlier, the South Korean team led by coach Hong Myung-bo won 3-1 against Oman on the 10th. On that day, Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) scored in the 10th minute of the first half, and then captain Son Heung-min (Tottenham) scored two goals to secure the victory.

Jeong Seung-hyun making a forward pass [Photo by Yonhap News]

However, the conceded goal in this match also came from the national team. South Korea conceded a free kick to Oman during stoppage time of the first half, and Jeong Seung-hyun attempted to clear the ball but accidentally hit it with his head, resulting in an equalizing goal. Initially, the goal was credited to Oman, but it was soon corrected as an own goal by Jeong Seung-hyun.

Afterwards, posts criticizing Jeong Seung-hyun flooded social media platforms and online communities. The problem lies in the fact that the criticism went beyond the player's performance and expanded to include attacks on his family. Currently, Jeong Seung-hyun's Instagram account is private, but some people found his wife's account listed in his profile and left comments such as "Jeong Seung-hyun again" and "Make your husband retire."

Jeong Seung-hyun has previously expressed stress caused by malicious comments. During the 2023 AFC Asian Cup held in Qatar in February, when critical comments surged, he appealed, saying, "Many people are leaving excessive comments on my wife's and baby's accounts," and added, "I plan to proceed with legal action without leniency. Please refrain from excessive slander and insults toward my family. I ask for your understanding."

Meanwhile, at the first round qualifier against Palestine held at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 5th, the national team also requested that some fans refrain from excessive jeering. The match ended in a 0-0 draw with Palestine, but some supporters in the stands displayed banners criticizing coach Hong Myung-bo and Chung Mong-gyu, president of the Korea Football Association.

After the match, Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), a member of the national team, appealed at a press conference, "I hope fans will support the players." Son Heung-min agreed with this view, emphasizing, "Cases like criticizing the coach and others should never happen again," and added, "At home, we must not create enemies ourselves. Please think about how you can help us break down the opponents and support us from the fans' perspective."