Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), who had an argument with the South Korean national soccer team supporters “Red Devils” after the match against Palestine, said he was reflecting on his actions.
Kim Min-jae attended a pre-press conference for the second Group B match of the 2026 FIFA North-China World Cup (co-hosted by Canada, the U.S. and Mexico) Asia at the “City Seasons Hotel Muscat” in Muscat, Oman’s capital, on the 9th (Korea Standard Time) and apologized for the dispute with the Red Devils.
The national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will face Oman at 11 p.m. on the 10th at Sultan Qaboos Stadium in Muscat, the capital of Oman.
The national team drew without scoring in the first Group B match against Palestine at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 5th.
South Korea, which belongs to Group B along with Palestine, Oman, Jordan, Iraq and Kuwait, is currently ranked fourth in Group B, so it must win the away match in Oman to not fall behind in the initial ranking fight.
Starting from the preliminary rounds of this year’s event, the third, fourth and fifth preliminary rounds will be held. The first and second ranking teams from the three groups will get tickets to the finals, while the third and fourth ranking teams will play in the fourth preliminary round. Three teams will be divided into two groups, with the second ranking teams advancing to the finals, while the second ranking teams will head to the intercontinental playoff tournament to determine the winner.
As such, Korea should not lag behind in the ranking battle at the beginning of the preliminary round. The national team will face Iraq at home after visiting Jordan in October. In November, two consecutive away games are waiting for Kuwait and Palestine in the Middle East. Most of the away games are away until the game against Palestine in November, when the halfway point is turned. If the team does not lose points as much as possible here, it can confirm its advance to the finals in the 7th to 10th games, which include three Korean home games.
However, Korea’s first step was twisted due to the draw against Palestine. On top of that, controversy over the appointment of Coach Hong Myung-bo has not abated, and attention is not always paid to the national team.
This was clearly revealed in the match against Palestine. Chants such as “Jung Mong-gyu get out” and “Hong Myung-bo get out” appeared in the match led by the national soccer team’s supporters “Red Devils.” When Hong appeared on the electronic display, they booed heavily. Players who were booed had to be affected.
In the end, Kim Min-jae approached the stands where the “Red Devil” was located immediately after the end of the Palestinian match and asked for restraint.
After the game, Kim Min-jae said, “I think (the fans) are actually thinking seriously, but I told them that I want them to cheer for the players, and in fact, we didn’t miss it from the beginning. There are people who distorted it again and come to my SNS and say that, but we were bad at it from the beginning.”
He said, “I said that because I was a little disappointed in the part that we hope and support (we) will not be able to do it, and I think I wanted to say that at all, not aggressively. I hope you don’t take a serious atmosphere or seriously, but it depends on what you think, so I hope you take it that way.”
When asked if the booing toward coach Hong, which was heard continuously during the game, affected it, Kim Min-jae explained, “I didn’t want to make an excuse for that, but I just told the fans because I was disappointed personally, not the players.”
“I said that (after the game) because I felt sorry to hear it before we started on the field,” he said again.
In response, the “Red Devils” issued a statement on the 6th, refuting Kim Min-jae’s claim, saying, “There is no cheering for him to lose,” but also signifying that they understand Kim Min-jae’s thoughts, saying they will consider the way to cheer again from the next game.
When Kim Min-jae headed to Oman through Incheon International Airport on the night of the 6th, he also headed to the arrival hall with a firm expression other than during fan service.
However, in the local adaptation training in Oman, he conducted the training with a bright expression with his teammates such as Son Heung-min and was also selected as a player to attend the pre-match press conference against Oman, which is certain to play again as the core of the defense against Oman.
With Kim Young-kwon (Ulsan HD), Jung Seung-hyun (Alwaseul), and Lee Han-beom (Mit Willan), Kim Min-jae must take the center stage to expect a scoreless match against Oman.
As time passed, Kim Min-jae, who reappeared at the pre-match press conference against Oman, said he apologized for his actions.
Kim Min-jae reflected, “In Korea, I told you that I would go to the stands and ask for a favor. Regarding that, I have no problem at all with my mental side, and I think I am wrong about my relationship with my fans in the future.”
However, he reflected, “I don’t think I did anything wrong at all when it comes to what was said. However, I think I’ve done enough wrong about my actions since then.”
Furthermore, Kim Min-jae continued to apologize, saying, “I saw an article that the Red Devils supporters would not boo (from now on). I am very grateful for that. I think I have done enough wrong and reflect on what I did.”
Regarding the match against Oman, Kim Min-jae said, “Since we didn’t get the results we wanted at home, I think it’s important to bring a good performance in the away game, but I think it’s important to bring results first. I think we have to bring results unconditionally and win.” 먹튀검증