Overview
- Kim Seung-gyu, 35, remained in Zapopan for South Korea training and missed the birth of his first child, a development he confirmed and apologized for to reporters.
- Kim framed the choice as a sacrifice to help the national side, saying he wanted to bring good results home and called the tournament potentially his last at this stage of his career.
- The veteran goalkeeper is under contract with FC Tokyo and is preparing for South Korea’s Group A opener in Guadalajara against the Czech Republic, with later matches versus Mexico on June 19 and South Africa on June 25.
- The opening match is scheduled for the night to Friday at 04:00 MESZ and will be shown on MagentaTV, and Kim has stayed with the squad as coaches finalise their World Cup preparations.
- The episode highlights the personal costs veteran players may face at major tournaments and could shape public discussion about team selection, family support and player welfare during long international campaigns.