South Korea national football team defender Seol Young-woo (Crvena Zvezda) has signaled a strong response to malicious slander and personal attacks directed at him following the team's loss to South Africa at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Sportif Project, Seol's agency, announced through social media on Tuesday, immediately after the final group-stage third match between South Korea and South Africa, that "We plan to respond strongly and without leniency to illegal acts against the player, including malicious slander, personal attacks, and the spread of false information."
South Korea lost 0-1 to South Africa that day, posting a record of one win and two losses (three points), and fell to third place in the group, yielding second place to South Africa (four points). As a result, South Korea failed to secure a spot in the round of 32 on its own, and its advancement to the tournament will be decided through comparison of records with third-place teams from other groups. Seol started as the team's right wing-back and played the full match, but immediately after the game, some football fans poured out malicious comments and criticism centered on social media, taking issue with his performance.
Seol's side said, "Opinions and evaluations of performance are part of sports, and constructive criticism and diverse opinions are important elements of a healthy sports culture. However, among recent comments and messages, cases that clearly fall outside the scope of healthy opinion expression—such as profanity, personal attacks, defamation, and the spread of false information—have been identified." It added, "Such acts can never be justified under any circumstances, and can cause serious harm not only to the player himself but also to his family and those around him." It further stated, "It is an act that damages even the space of many fans who continue to cheer and communicate in a healthy manner, and undermines a sound culture of communication."
Seol's agency said it will continuously monitor related posts and comments, and intends to take legal action without leniency against illegal acts such as malicious slander, personal attacks, and the spread of false information.
