Former South Korea national team goalkeeper Kim Young-gwang. [Korea Professional Football League]
Former South Korea national team goalkeeper Kim Young-gwang. [Korea Professional Football League]

Former South Korea national team goalkeeper Kim Young-gwang, who has been publicly criticizing figures in Korean football, has opened up about his reasons for speaking out.

Writing on his social media account Wednesday, Kim said he was grateful for the support he had received but acknowledged that voicing his opinions came with a cost. "Not everything that comes back to me from speaking my mind is positive," he wrote.

"There are times when I'm misunderstood, and moments when it actually works against me," he said. "Even so, I keep raising my voice because I see things the same way you do and feel the same way you do."

"I speak my thoughts honestly because I share the frustration, the disappointment and the hopes that you feel," he added.

Kim said the encouragement from his followers had given him strength. "More than any direct help, it's enough that you watch and stay interested, just as you have been," he said. "If you continue to support me through subscriptions and follows, that means a great deal. I am truly grateful."

Kim first drew widespread attention during a live broadcast immediately after South Korea's match against South Africa at the 2026 North America World Cup, when he shouted, "Hong Myung-bo, get out." The phrase spread online as a meme, and some football fans chanted it at Incheon International Airport when the national team returned home after being eliminated in the group stage.

In a more recent broadcast, Kim explained the outburst. "It was something that came out without me realizing it — I was just so angry. As one member of the public who had been watching football so intently, I got furious. My nickname is 'the Blast Furnace.' I was boiling over, and it just came out before I knew it," he said.

On Monday, Kim also drew attention by calling out the conduct of technical director Lee Im-saeng. Lee had spearheaded the appointment of then-head coach Hong Myung-bo and negotiated his high-salary contract. After the World Cup ended, Lee moved to Cambodia's Nagaworld FC without offering any public explanation.

In response, Kim left a comment on a social media post covering the news, writing: "And now he's walked out the door."


min3654@heraldcorp.com