AI images of S.Korea's Son hitting coach after World Cup exit mislead online
- Published on July 9, 2026 at 11:07
- 3 min read
- By Sammy HEUNG, AFP Hong Kong
South Korea's early exit from the 2026 World Cup triggered coach Hong Myung-bo's resignation, but images supposedly showing the team's captain Son Heung-min angrily pulling the coach's hair were taken from an AI-generated video. The video was generated using images from an earlier press conference the pair attended, but a review of photos and clips of the event showed no such fight occurred.
"Who would pull a stunt like that at a press conference unless they were absolutely furious?" says the simplified Chinese caption of three images shared on Douyin on June 29, 2026.
The images are presented as a slideshow, and the faint outline of a playback symbol suggests they are screenshots taken from a video.
They appear to show Son reaching over during a press conference to yank the hair of Hong, who resigned as the national team head coach a day earlier.
Text superimposed on the images reads: "Right now in South Korea, I am treated worse than a dog."
Video of the interaction was also shared in similar simplified Chinese posts on TikTok and Bilibili, as well as in Korean on X.
The posts circulated after South Korea limped out of the 2026 World Cup at the group stage (archived link).
Their early exit triggered a public outcry, prompting coach Hong to quit and casting doubt over Son's international future. It also earned the team a rebuke from President Lee Jae Myung, who pointed the finger at "incompetent people" and apologised to the nation.
Hong has been a lightning rod for criticism since he took the job in July 2024, and was regularly booed by fans. He did himself no favours at the World Cup by dropping Son for the country's final group game, a 1-0 loss to South Africa, with South Korea only needing a point to progress to the knockout stages.
But there have been no photos, videos or official reports of the purported altercation that saw Son pull Hong's hair, despite it supposedly occurring at a public press conference attended by the world's media.
Inauthentic visuals
A reverse image search on Google led to a nearly identical video published on Douyin by China's state-run Phoenix Television on June 28 (archived link).
The post clearly states the video was made with AI to comically depict South Korea's shock World Cup elimination.
"South Korea eliminated, Son Heung-min be like... AI video shows him thrashing head coach Hong Myung-bo," says its caption. Text on the video also indicates it is an AI creation.
A further reverse search found the first part of the video matches a photo of an earlier presser published by South Korea's Yonhap News Agency on June 11 (archived link).
"Hong Myung-bo, head coach of the South Korean national football team competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, prepares for an official press briefing at the Guadalajara Stadium in Mexico on the 10th (local time), alongside Son Heung-min, a day before the match against the Czech Republic," says its Korean-language caption.
There is no mention of the pair having a physical fight in the Yonhap report, and video of the press conference posted on YouTube by South Korea's KBS News also does not show any fighting between Hong and Son (archived link).
A comparison of the AI video and genuine photos of the event also reveals visual errors such as distorted logos in the background and on Hong's shirt, and unnatural skin texture in the clip.
The colour of the lower part of the lanyards should be light blue instead of red, and Hong's left eye was deformed in one of the keyframes.
AFP has previously debunked other false claims related to the 2026 World Cup that have relied on AI‑generated imagery.
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