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Kim Sun-tae, the former Chungju city official known as "Chungju Man" who became a YouTuber after leaving his government post, watched South Korea's final group-stage match at the 2026 North America World Cup against South Africa in person — and called it "too frustrating."

In a video titled "World Cup Promotion" posted to his YouTube channel Tuesday, Kim said he attended the match at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, on June 25. "I couldn't enjoy the game," he said. "It was my first time watching in person, and by the end of the first half I was already feeling too frustrated."

Kim said he initially wondered whether his own expectations had grown too high. "I'm not an expert and I don't follow soccer all the time, so I thought maybe my standards had gone up — but I don't think that was it," he said. "I don't know much about tactics, but things just weren't working and the build-up play wasn't there either. They just kept passing the ball around."

He was more impressed by the opposition. "South Africa seemed far superior in individual skill, their transitions were quick, their combinations worked well — they just looked good," he said.

Kim said the result stung more because neither the outcome nor the performance was acceptable. "You can win or you can lose, but when both the result and the process are bad, it makes you even angrier," he said. He added that he is not a fan of the Korean expression "jyeotjalssa" — meaning "we lost, but we fought well" — yet found himself wishing the team had at least earned that much.

He was equally sharp in his criticism of the team's tactics.

"Lee Kang-in was fighting alone out there, and the ball barely reached the second and third lines in midfield," Kim said, questioning whether that reflected a deliberate modern tactical approach. He made clear he was critical of an attack that funneled exclusively down the flanks.

Kim also raised doubts about coach Hong Myung-bo's three-back system. "I kept thinking: is the three-back the problem? Is that why there aren't enough numbers — not enough bodies in midfield or attack?" he said.

Kim was also skeptical about whether advancing to the round of 32 would even have meant much given the team's showing.

"Honestly, I found myself thinking: if we make the round of 32 playing like this, with tactics like this, does it even mean anything?" he said.

He tempered that view slightly, adding, "Maybe if we go through, things will improve. I really don't know" — hinting at a lingering hope that a path forward might still materialize.

South Korea, placed in Group A, had beaten the Czech Republic and lost to Mexico to sit second in the group with one win and one loss. A draw against South Africa — considered the weaker side — would have been enough to secure a round-of-32 berth. Instead, Korea suffered a shock defeat and was left depending on other results. The elimination was confirmed June 28, once all third-place standings across groups were finalized.


ygmoon@heraldcorp.com