Video of South Korea fans holding Palestinian flag predates World Cup
- Published on June 16, 2026 at 22:59
- 2 min read
- By Bill MCCARTHY, AFP USA
A video spreading across platforms is labeled as showing South Korean football fans unfurling a giant Palestinian flag at the 2026 World Cup, where the country's men's national team earned a 2-1 victory against the Czech Republic in its opening match. But the footage was actually captured in September 2024 when South Korea's side battled the Palestine team to a draw in a World Cup qualifier in Seoul.
"South Korean fans have arrived at the 2026 FIFA World Cup carrying Palestinian flags," says text over the video, shared June 15, 2026 on X.
The clip blasted across X in multiple languages, amplified by influencers AFP has previously fact-checked for spreading misinformation, including Mario Nawfal and Jackson Hinkle.
"The world knows who's in the right," Hinkle wrote to his 3.8 million followers on the site.
Similar posts also spread on other platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and Threads.
The World Cup -- which kicked off June 11 and is being jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada -- has seen some fans express support for Palestinians, and reports leading up to the tournament indicated the flag would be permitted inside stadiums as FIFA prohibited Iran's pre-revolutionary flag.
But the clip of South Korean fans -- whose side defeated the Czech Republic in its first group stage match June 11 in Guadalajara, Mexico -- was not filmed during the 2026 World Cup.
Reverse image searches surfaced the same footage posted to X and Reddit as early as September 5, 2024 (archived here and here). The posts' captions connected the clip to the World Cup qualifying match played that day between South Korea and Palestine at Seoul World Cup Stadium.
The name of the stadium is visible under the jumbotron in the background of the clip.
The two teams tied 0-0, a result that earned boos for South Korean manager Hong Myung-bo.
Other footage available online shows a different angle of the spectators holding up the giant flag (archived here). AFP also captured a photo of the display at the time.
South Korea is not among the countries that have recognized the independence of the state of Palestine, but in April President Lee Jae Myung broke with the nation's traditionally neutral position to criticize Israeli actions in Gaza.
AFP has debunked other misinformation about the World Cup here and here.
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