Lee Kyung-kyu Jokes About Running for KFA President Following National Team's Early World Cup Exit

Broadcaster Lee Kyung-kyu has expressed his frustration over the South Korean national football team's early elimination from the North and Central America World Cup, jokingly suggesting he might run for president of the Korea Football Association (KFA).

On June 28, Lee uploaded a video to his YouTube channel, God Kyung-kyu, titled "Waiting for 2030, I Will Stop Here," in which he shared his feelings, saying, "The world has collapsed. I am devastated."

Holding a cake he had prepared in anticipation of the team reaching the Round of 32, Lee remarked, "Maybe things didn't work out because I prepared something like this from the start."

He then suggested, "Let's light the candles on this cake and blow them out to make it clear that our hopes for the Round of 32 are gone."

When asked to pick the best and worst moments of the North and Central America World Cup, he pointedly remarked, "It started with the worst and ended with the worst. We should have actually lost the match against the Czech Republic. They gave the public hope only to end up in this mess."

Throughout the broadcast, Lee repeatedly sighed, lamented, and raised his voice in frustration.

He identified the KFA and head coach Hong Myung-bo as the causes of the disaster, criticizing them sharply by saying, "Honestly, they were not at a level to reach the Round of 32. Their mentality was lacking, and they were not a 'one team.' They were completely divided."

He then called for a major overhaul in preparation for the 2030 World Cup.

Expressing his frustration, Lee said, "The coach will be replaced, right? What if they just keep things the same? It drives me crazy." He then joked, "Maybe I should try running for KFA president and build a team myself. I'll meet with Yoon-seok this evening and tell him, 'I'm thinking of running for KFA president, so gather some people for me.'"

Lee also expressed his hope that "Son Heung-min will not retire," mentioning players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo who are still active in the World Cup in their 40s.

Lee is well-known in the entertainment industry as a passionate football fan and has traveled to cheer for the national team on-site and appeared in related broadcasts for eight World Cups since 1994.

As a result, many are saying that the 18-minute-long critique and pointed jokes Lee directed at the KFA resonated with the frustrations felt by the public.

Reported by Kim Ji-hye | Video by Ryu Ji-soo | Graphics by Lee Jung-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.