[Sportschosun reporter Kim Jun-seok] Anger over the South Korea national football team’s FIFA World Cup result has taken an unexpected turn.
An absurd incident unfolded when actor Lee Ki-hyuk was flooded with malicious comments simply because he shares the same name.
Recently, as criticism of national team footballer Lee Ki-hyuk spread online, some users visited the social media account of actor and film director Lee Ki-hyuk, who has the same name, and left protest comments.
The comments included criticism related to the match result, such as "Why did you block it?" and "We lost because of you." But the account belonged to actor Lee Ki-hyuk, not the football player.
After realizing the mistake, other users stepped in to explain, saying, "He’s an actor, not a football player," "You’ve come to the wrong person," and "They just have the same name." By then, however, the post had already been flooded with comments.
The incident may have been a simple mistake, but it has also raised concerns about an online culture that places excessive blame on specific players after a sports defeat.
In fact, immediately after the match, online communities and social media were filled with criticism aimed at individual players, and some comments escalated into personal attacks that crossed the line.
In response, users urged restraint, saying, "The player must be the most upset, so this is heartbreaking," "Criticism of mistakes is different from malicious comments," and "Being a national team player must be an enormous burden."
Above all, the case showed how quickly unverified information can spread online.
It also highlighted the danger of indiscriminate online attacks, as an unrelated actor became the target of criticism simply because he shared the same name.
Meanwhile, actor Lee Ki-hyuk first gained attention through the 2015 film Uninvited Guest, which was selected for the Korean Short Film Competition at the Jeonju International Film Festival. He later appeared in films such as Room 511, Autopsy, and That Quiet Sea of the Year. In 2016, he signed an exclusive contract with JYP Entertainment and expanded his career into television dramas, including Greasy Melo.
narusi@sportschosun.com
