South Korea's national football team secured a 2-1 comeback victory against the Czech Republic in their opening match of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup on June 11. Japanese media outlets took note of the match, highlighting South Korea's quick offensive play, focus in the second half, and goalkeeper Kim Seung-kyu's crucial saves as key factors in the win.
The Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that South Korea achieved a comeback with two goals in the second half. The newspaper noted that while the Czech Republic scored first during a long throw-in, South Korea equalized with a goal from Hwang In-beom and then took the lead with a decisive goal from Oh Hyun-kyu.
Kyodo News described Hwang In-beom's equalizer as a well-placed right-foot shot following a precise trap, while Oh Hyun-kyu scored the winning goal by tapping in a cross with his left foot. The report also mentioned that South Korea overcame late-game pressure from the Czech Republic thanks to Kim Seung-kyu's saves, noting that despite scoring first, the Czech team was overwhelmed by South Korea's rapid attacks.
The Jiji Press covered the opening day results of the World Cup, including South Korea's comeback victory. The report stated that after conceding the first goal, South Korea equalized and then took the lead with Oh Hyun-kyu's goal. It also mentioned that in Group A, host nation Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0, allowing both South Korea and Mexico to secure three points.
Public broadcaster NHK provided a separate article on the South Korea-Czech Republic match, along with a two-minute highlight video. NHK noted that South Korea, led by Premier League top scorer Son Heung-min, initiated attacks early but ended the first half without scoring. After conceding the first goal to Czech captain Krejčí in the second half, South Korea equalized with Hwang In-beom's right-foot shot and took the lead with Oh Hyun-kyu's left-foot finish from a right-side cross. NHK also highlighted that South Korea faced a late challenge from the Czech Republic but maintained their lead thanks to Kim Seung-kyu's saves.
Japanese sports media focused on South Korea's performance and Hong Myung-bo's tactical substitutions. Nikkan Sports noted that despite conceding a goal in the 14th minute of the second half, "Hong Myung-bo's substitutions were effective." The outlet reported that Hwang In-beom not only scored the equalizer but also assisted Oh Hyun-kyu's winning goal, and mentioned that Hwang In-beom plays alongside Japanese internationals Ueda Ayase and Watanabe Tsuyoshi at Feyenoord in the Netherlands.
Football Zone, a Japanese football media outlet, reported that South Korea threatened the Czech goal from the start. It highlighted strong long-range shots from Lee Kang-in and a dribble followed by a shot from Son Heung-min, noting reactions on Japanese social media such as "South Korea is indeed strong," "Lee Kang-in is sharp," and "They play good football."
Overall, Japanese media assessed that South Korea's performance did not rely solely on Son Heung-min, as multiple players including Hwang In-beom, Lee Kang-in, Oh Hyun-kyu, and Kim Seung-kyu contributed significantly throughout the match. The team's focus in the second half, even after conceding the first goal, was also praised. South Korea began the group stage smoothly, securing three points alongside host nation Mexico.
Meanwhile, Japan is set to face the Netherlands in their opening match of Group F on June 15 at 5 a.m. KST at the Dallas Stadium in the United States, alongside Sweden and Tunisia in their group.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.