Ki Sung-yueng (37, Pohang Steelers), a former member of the Korean national soccer team, criticized Korean soccer, saying, “Soccer players need to wake up.” On the 17th, the tvN entertainment program ‘You Quiz on the Block’ posted a video on its official YouTube channel with the title ‘These days, I think a lot about Korean soccer.’ In the released video, Ki Sung-yong mentioned the 2026 North and Central America World Cup and recalled, “I only came to watch the Czech Republic game (in Mexico),” and “The result of the game was so good that (until I returned home) there was talk about whether Korea would rise to first or second place.” He expressed bitterness, saying, “I gave a lot of strength (to the players), but it ended like this. As an experienced player, I am very sad, and I completely understand the people’s disappointment.” Ki Sung-yong said, “I have the hope that Korean soccer will need to be reformed a lot in the future.” “Soccer players need to wake up,” he said. “We need to reflect a lot, and although I am also a soccer player, I have been thinking a lot lately about whether I really did anything other than working hard for Korean soccer.”