[Sportschosun Reporter Jo Ji-young] KBS proved the strong public interest in the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup Group A third match against South Africa, which was broadcast live exclusively on terrestrial TV and featured commentator Lee Young-pyo and caster Jun Hyun-moo working together for the first time.
On the 25th, Lee Young-pyo and Jun Hyun-moo provided a live field broadcast on KBS 2TV from 9:10 a.m. for the Republic of Korea's Group A third match of the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup against South Africa. The broadcast recorded nationwide and metropolitan area ratings of 10.7% and 10.1%, respectively, according to Nielsen Korea. It ranked first among World Cup broadcasts, with both figures topping 10%. JTBC's ratings for the South Africa match were 7.0% nationwide and 6.8% in the metropolitan area.
For the match itself, the first half drew a 13.2% rating and the second half 14.4%. The full match, which kicked off at 10 a.m., averaged 13.8%. The peak minute rating reached 15.3% at 11:26 a.m., corresponding to the 22nd minute of the second half. The total reach, meaning the number of people nationwide who watched the Korea-South Africa match for at least one minute, was 5.92 million.
From the opening whistle, KBS2 led the ratings throughout the match, and the gap with JTBC widened to as much as 6.4 percentage points at 11:26 a.m. At that moment, KBS2's peak minute audience nationwide reached 3.38 million. JTBC's peak minute audience was 2.28 million at 11:20 a.m., a difference of 1.1 million viewers. KBS2's 3.38 million peak minute audience for the South Africa match was the highest among all channels for the entire day on the 25th.
The Republic of Korea lost 1-0 to South Africa and finished third in Group A. Whether it advances to the Round of 32 now depends on the results of other teams' matches. After the game, caster Jun Hyun-moo said, "We have not been eliminated from the Round of 32 yet. If we make it in, we can reset from there and avoid repeating the same mistakes," stressing hope.
With 3 points and a 1-2 record, the Republic of Korea finished third in Group A. Depending on the results of other groups, it can still advance to the Round of 32 if it ranks among the top eight of the 12 third-place teams.
Reporter Jo Ji-young soulhn1220@sportschosun.com
