[스포츠니어스 | 전주=김현회 기자] The atmosphere in Jeonju was brutal.
Jeonbuk Hyundai lost 1-2 to Pohang Steelers in the Hana 1 Q K-League 1 2023 match at Jeonbuk World Cup Stadium on the 1st. Ryu Jae-moon scored the first goal, but gave up one goal to Baek Sung-dong and collapsed by allowing another goal to Jeka just before the end of the second half. With the loss of the game on this day, Jeonbuk Hyundai might not get out of the sluggish situation of 1 win, 1 draw and 3 losses. The last 2 losses
Before the game, Jeonbuk Hyundai supporters hung up the hangings prepared before the players entered. The phrase was terrifying. It was a message strongly urging the resignation of director Kim Sang-sik and CEO Heo Byung-gil. ‘Director runs away/CEO denies Dak Gong’ ‘The audience leaves due to insincere management’ ‘Director & CEO replacement more desperate than generational change’ ‘I don’t support Kim Sang-shik Heo Byung-gil’ ‘Kim Sang-shik Heo Byung-gil out’ ‘Kim Sang-sik says you are our Jeonbuk coach’ Various banners such as ‘It’s a shame’ were hung.
Even during the game, Jeonbuk fans did not cheer. Occasionally, only slogans were shouted: ‘Get out of Kim Sang-sik’ and ‘Get out of Heo Byung-gil’. Along with the message of sorry for the veteran players who recently left the team, the message to protect Choi Chul-soon was also taken. It was the phrase ‘I’m sorry I mightn’t protect Lee Yong-gi, Bo-kyung’ and ‘CHULSOON_STAYSTRONG’. The first half ended with Jeonbuk leading 1-0, but the atmosphere was gloomy. There was no halftime event.
A disgraceful flag was hung before the start of the game. It was the contents of the hanging hanging right behind the bench where director Kim Sang-shik was standing. Along with the message ‘Free sharing with FA Cup winning manager FA’, he pointed to coach Kim Sang-sik standing right next to him with an arrow. However, this hanging was soon removed, and instead, the uniforms of players who had left or were rumored to be leaving Jeonbuk were hung up instead. The uniforms of Lee Yong, Choi Cheol-soon, and Lee Seung-gi took the place of this hanging.
It was Lee Gyeong-geun (39 years old), a 25-year-old Jeonbuk Hyundai fan, who hung this hanging. Mr. Lee Kyung-geun <스포츠니어스>“Coach Kim Sang-sik sent players who had been with the team for a long time in the name of free agents, and even sent them to other teams while paying for their salaries. “We are sending players out in the name of a generational change,” he said. At first, I thought of several other phrases, then modified them to fit the rhyme, and my friends also gave me advice. And then I came up with this hanging,” he said.
Mr. Lee Kyung-geun said, “Originally, my season ticket seat is here.” “When the players warmed up before the game, I hung the uniforms of Lee Yong, Choi Chul-soon, and Choi Bo-kyung. I had to reserve a seat because someone might hang another hanging, and when the players warmed up and went in, I wanted to hang up their uniforms and deliver a message of support. And following the players warmed up and went in, they were covered with a gag for coach Kim Sang-sik’s resignation. Around the start of the game, a safety guard came and asked for the hanging to be removed. He said, ‘The players don’t want this gag.
At the same time, he said, “I have no desire to fight the players,” and “so I told the safety officer, ‘I will take just 15 more minutes to demolish it. At that time, it was at the kick-off point, but it was demolished only until the 15th minute of the first half with the manager’s resignation hanging.” Mr. Lee Kyung-geun said, “I have been watching soccer since Jeonbuk Hyundai was really bad, and while doing so, Choi Chul-soon and other players grew and became the current team. Even now, he is a competitive player, but there are many stories regarding Choi Chul-soon leaving the team. The coach has also played for a long time in Jeonbuk and is even coaching, but he is sending out veterans for reasons that are difficult to learn.”
Mr. Lee Kyung-geun said, “If the demand for the resignation of the coach is not fulfilled, I think I will probably hang this hook in the next game.” It’s not that everyone isn’t doing it like this, it’s that the coach has endured because of the achievements he made while playing in Jeonbuk. But now I think we have come to a situation where it is difficult to turn back. If there is no change in the team, I think I will probably bring this hook once more to the next game.” He said, “I am very worried because I think that the culture and history of Jeonbuk Hyundai might collapse. I hope the club will listen to the stories of the fans.”
At the start of the second half, Jeonbuk Hyundai fans chanted “Kim Sang-shik get out,” and Pohang fans responded with a slogan, “Common sense forever.” Then, a fan from Jeonbuk Supporters held a megaphone and protested to Pohang fans. When Pohang scored an equalizer in the 12th minute of the second half, Jeonbuk fans once once more chanted the resignation of the coach and representative. Jeonbuk fans did not cheer throughout the game except for the resignation of manager Kim Sang-sik and CEO Heo Byung-gil. As soon as the game ended, coach Kim Sang-sik headed straight to the locker.
