June 25, 2026
Former South Korea midfielder Park Ji-sung criticised the team's performance in Wednesday's 1-0 defeat by South Africa at the World Cup, and drew comparisons with their disappointing 2014 campaign that saw them exit in the group phase.
The Koreans, who started with captain Son Heung-min on the bench, still have a chance of advancing as one of the best third-placed teams but Park did not hold out much hope for them going deep into the tournament.
"We need to reflect on whether this was overall a game we tried to win," Park said during TV commentary.
"There was no visible plan for how to attack. This problem has been the same throughout this World Cup. It seems there were clearly some areas that were neglected during the preparation process."
