Back-of-the-Head Slap Video Goes Viral... Calls to Remove Him from National Anthem Footage

Public criticism directed at former national football team head coach Hong Myung-bo, who has voluntarily resigned, shows no signs of subsiding.

An AI-generated video titled "A comfort video I made because I was angry at Hong Myung-bo," recently posted on social media, has surpassed 10 million views.

The video uses AI technology to depict national team midfielder Jens Castrop approaching former coach Hong on the bench, striking him on the back of the head, and raising his voice.

Furthermore, there are growing calls online to remove the scene of Hong’s celebration following the penalty shootout victory in the quarterfinals of the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, which is currently included in the footage played during the national anthem before national team matches.

Amidst this situation, a Chinese state-run media outlet commented on the intense criticism directed at former coach Hong in South Korea, stating that people "need to regain their composure."

Reported by Yang Hyun-yi | Video by Na Hong-hee | Graphics by Lee Soo-min | Source: YouTube 'Fact Research Institute', Threads (@beat1830), Instagram (@jenscastrop) | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.