Former South Korea captain Park Ji-sung delivered a sharp assessment of his country’s World Cup campaign after Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat to South Africa, questioning the team’s preparation and warning that familiar problems from previous tournaments have resurfaced.
The loss left South Korea’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage hanging in the balance. While the team still retains a mathematical chance of advancing as one of the tournament’s best third-placed finishers, Park expressed serious doubts about whether the current squad is capable of making a meaningful impact if it progresses.
Speaking during a television broadcast of the match, Park criticized both the tactical approach and the overall direction of the team, suggesting there was little evidence of a clear attacking strategy against South Africa.
“We need to reflect on whether this was truly a game we tried to win,” Park said during his commentary. “There was no visible plan for how to attack. This problem has been present throughout this World Cup. It seems there were clearly areas that were neglected during the preparation process.”
South Korea opened the tournament with an encouraging 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic, a result that briefly raised expectations among supporters. However, subsequent defeats to Mexico and South Africa exposed weaknesses that had not been apparent in the opening match.
More concerning for observers has been the team’s inability to score since its first game. South Korea failed to find the net against either Mexico or South Africa despite enjoying periods of possession and creating several attacking opportunities.
Against South Africa, head coach Hong Myung-bo opted to leave captain Son Heung-min on the bench at kickoff, a decision that generated considerable discussion before and after the match. Son entered during the second half but was unable to inspire a comeback as South Korea struggled to break down a disciplined South African defense.
For Park, the performances have revived memories of one of the country’s most disappointing World Cup campaigns.
The former Manchester United midfielder drew direct comparisons with the 2014 tournament in Brazil, where South Korea failed to win a match and exited in the group stage after recording one draw and two defeats.
Park, who played a central role in South Korea’s historic run to the semifinals of the 2002 World Cup on home soil, said lessons from previous failures appear not to have been fully learned.
“We had plenty of time to reflect on what went wrong at the 2014 World Cup,” Park said. “But this time, once again, the preparation process and the results look very similar to what happened then.”
His comments reflect growing concern among South Korean supporters, many of whom expected a stronger showing from a squad featuring several players competing in Europe’s top leagues.
The defeat to South Africa also highlighted persistent issues in the final third, where South Korea has struggled to convert possession into meaningful chances. Despite controlling large stretches of games, the team has often lacked creativity and decisiveness near goal.
Park suggested those shortcomings point to deeper structural problems rather than isolated performances.
Even if South Korea ultimately advances through the expanded tournament format, he warned that qualification alone would not address the underlying concerns surrounding the team’s performances.
“Even if the possibility of reaching the round of 32 still remains, I am not confident that we can show a good performance at that stage with the current level of play,” he said.
South Korea must now await results elsewhere to determine whether its three-point total will be enough to secure one of the remaining knockout-stage places.
Regardless of the outcome, Park’s criticism is likely to intensify scrutiny of the team’s preparation and tactical decisions as South Korean football officials evaluate another World Cup campaign that has so far fallen well short of expectations.
