Broadcaster Lee Kyung-kyu. [Herald POP (now Herald Muse) provided]
Broadcaster Lee Kyung-kyu. [Herald POP (now Herald Muse) provided]

Broadcaster Lee Kyung-kyu expressed deep frustration over the South Korean national football team's group-stage elimination from the 2026 North America World Cup.

On Sunday, Lee watched the Group K finale between Uzbekistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo at Atlanta Stadium in Georgia via a live stream on Naver's Chzzk platform.

When the DRC came from behind to win 3-1, extinguishing South Korea's last hope of advancing to the round of 32, Lee lamented, "This World Cup has been a real mess. It's the worst. I've been following the World Cup since 1994, and this year is by far the worst. The tragedy just never ends."

"At the Qatar World Cup we made the round of 16, and in 2018 we at least had the consolation of beating Germany," Lee said. "This time there was nothing to hold on to — they made a fuss about leaving Son Heung-min out and then ended up not playing him at all. It makes no sense."

When viewers began flooding the chat with messages urging Lee to become the next Korea Football Association president, he quipped that he would have to meet fellow entertainer Lee Yoon-seok to put together a campaign team, adding that he was thinking of enlisting Kang Ho-dong and Lee Su-geun. The remark drew laughs.

South Korea's failure to advance past the group stage is the first since the 2018 Russia World Cup, eight years ago. Hong Myung-bo's side had been chasing a third overall — and second consecutive — round-of-16 finish at an away World Cup, following the 2010 South Africa and 2022 Qatar tournaments, but fell short.

South Korea's contract with head coach Hong Myung-bo runs through the Asian Cup next January.


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