After Korea's early elimination from the FIFA World Cup group stage, captain Son Heung-min released an open apology to the nation.

Son's statement on social media:

I don't know where to begin, but I can't pretend nothing happened, nor do I want to avoid the truth.

First, I want to offer my sincere apologies to all citizens of the Republic of Korea and to all football fans who love this sport.

As someone who also loves football, if I were a spectator watching a match like that, I would certainly feel deep regret, frustration, and tremendous pain. Because of this, a simple apology cannot possibly convey the disappointment and pain our fans are experiencing—it feels far from sufficient.

Every day, every moment, fans' hearts carry complex emotions, and I know you all are going through a harder time than anyone. I want to tell you: for me too, this was an incredibly meaningful tournament—the "childhood dream stage" I've always spoken about—and its sudden collapse has left me with indescribable loss and heartbreak. To be honest, even now it's difficult for me to accept this reality. Thinking of the far greater disappointment and pain you're experiencing, I even hesitate to express my own true feelings, but I'm certain your current emotions must be very similar to mine.

I fully understand that everyone made tremendous sacrifices to reach this stage. Faced with the time and dedication you've invested, and your consistent support and love, I ultimately failed to deliver the results you deserved. For this, I feel deep and genuine responsibility, and I am truly sorry. At the same time, I want to express my most sincere gratitude to everyone who believed in us until the end, encouraged us, and supported us.

Rather than expressing everything in words, let me return to my position and do my best to win back the hearts of all Korean citizens and football fans. To bring joy to you all again, I will run with all my strength and will not waste this opportunity. I have not forgotten my promise to the fans, and until you call on me again and need me, I will give everything I have and prepare myself thoroughly once more.

Finally, I feel sad and deeply sorry to make a request at a time like this, but I still ask you: rather than criticizing and hurting the players too harshly—difficult as that may be—I hope you can show them warm support and encouragement.

Thank you for patiently reading this long message.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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