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Agence France-Presse

South Korean fans rejoiced on Thursday and called for national service exemptions after their team went out of the World Cup in a blaze of glory, eliminating defending champions Germany with a shock 2-0 victory.
In one of the great World Cup upsets, Kim Young-gwon and Son Heung-min both scored in injury time to condemn footballing superpower Germany to their first opening-round exit in 80 years.
South Korea were pelted with toffees, a Korean insult, when they returned winless from Brazil 2014 and although they again leave early, after defeats to Mexico and Sweden, they finished above Germany on goal difference in group F.
“We didn’t make it to the round of 16 … but we sent the world number one packing,” said a headline in Seoul’s major Dong-A daily.
“We are so proud of you,” the newspaper said on its front page, adding the game “shook South Korea upside down”.

Germany went into the game knowing that a win by two clear goals would have seen them into the last 16. But instead it was Sweden and Mexico who progressed after the Scandinavians romped to a 3-0 win in the group’s other match.
The Taeguk Warriors, semi-finalists in 2002, brought the defending champions “down with them”, Yonhap news agency said, adding that Germany “unceremoniously bowed out of the tournament”.
Fifa World Cup shock: Lothar Matthaus warned us it would end in tears, say German fans in Hong Kong
South Korean social media was flooded by tens of thousands of messages from fans expressing joy and astonishment over a victory that had seemed utterly implausible before the match.
“This is far more shocking than our advance to the semi-final at the 2002 World Cup,” one commenter said.
“Who cares we won’t make it to the round of 16? We defeated Germany, the world number one!” added another.
“It was an honourable exit.”

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon joined them, tweeting on Thursday “Reality beat our imagination today” and praising the South Korean footballers.
Fifa World Cup: South Korean players thought Germany win was enough to go through
South Korean players swept the most-searched terms on major portals and dozens of online petitions were launched on the presidential website, urging Moon Jae-in to exempt star players, including Tottenham forward Son and goalkeeper Cho Hyun-woo, from their mandatory two-year military service.
“They gave us so much hope,” said one petitioner. “Their talent should not be wasted in the military!”






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Fifa World Cup 2018

Fifa World Cup: South Korea fans urge Moon Jae-in to exempt players from national service after Germany win

South Korea fans celebrate in front of the Seoul city hall, watching their team beating Germany in the World Cup. Photo: EPA

epa06844976 South Korean soccer supporters celebrate in front of the Seoul city hall in Seoul, South Korea, 27 June 2018, watching their team beating Germany in the FIFA World Cup group F preliminary round match. EPA-EFE/JEON HEON-KYUN

epa06844950 Players of South Korea react after the 1-0 during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group F preliminary round soccer match between South Korea and Germany in Kazan, Russia, 27 June 2018. (RESTRICTIONS APPLY: Editorial Use Only, not used in association with any commercial entity - Images must not be used in any form of alert service or push service of any kind including via mobile alert services, downloads to mobile devices or MMS messaging - Images must appear as still images and must not emulate match action video footage - No alteration is made to, and no text or image is superimposed over, any published image which: (a) intentionally obscures or removes a sponsor identification image; or (b) adds or overlays the commercial identification of any third party which is not officially associated with the FIFA World Cup) EPA-EFE/DIEGO AZUBEL EDITORIAL USE ONLY EDITORIAL USE ONLY

Fifa World Cup shock: Lothar Matthaus warned us it would end in tears, say German fans in Hong Kong

Germany fans at the viewing party for Germany v South Korea's World Cup 2018 game at the Intercontinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong in Tsim Sha Tsui.

TOPSHOT - South Korea's forward Son Heung-min scores his team's second goal during the Russia 2018 World Cup Group F football match between South Korea and Germany at the Kazan Arena in Kazan on June 27, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Luis Acosta / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - NO MOBILE PUSH ALERTS/DOWNLOADS

TOPSHOT - South Korea's forward Son Heung-min celebrates scoring his goal during the Russia 2018 World Cup Group F football match between South Korea and Germany at the Kazan Arena in Kazan on June 27, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / BENJAMIN CREMEL / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - NO MOBILE PUSH ALERTS/DOWNLOADS

TOPSHOT - (From L) Germany's forward Thomas Mueller, Germany's midfielder Toni Kroos and Germany's forward Julian Brandt react after South Korea's forward Son Heung-min (unseen) scored the second goal during the Russia 2018 World Cup Group F football match between South Korea and Germany at the Kazan Arena in Kazan on June 27, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Jewel SAMAD / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - NO MOBILE PUSH ALERTS/DOWNLOADS

German fans gather to watch the side play South Korea in the World Cup.

epa06844783 Kim Young-gwon of (R) South Korea celebrates scoring the opening goal during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group F preliminary round soccer match between South Korea and Germany in Kazan, Russia, 27 June 2018. (RESTRICTIONS APPLY: Editorial Use Only, not used in association with any commercial entity - Images must not be used in any form of alert service or push service of any kind including via mobile alert services, downloads to mobile devices or MMS messaging - Images must appear as still images and must not emulate match action video footage - No alteration is made to, and no text or image is superimposed over, any published image which: (a) intentionally obscures or removes a sponsor identification image; or (b) adds or overlays the commercial identification of any third party which is not officially associated with the FIFA World Cup) EPA-EFE/ROBERT GHEMENT EDITORIAL USE ONLY

epa06844709 Players of South Korea celebrate the opening goal during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group F preliminary round soccer match between South Korea and Germany in Kazan, Russia, 27 June 2018. (RESTRICTIONS APPLY: Editorial Use Only, not used in association with any commercial entity - Images must not be used in any form of alert service or push service of any kind including via mobile alert services, downloads to mobile devices or MMS messaging - Images must appear as still images and must not emulate match action video footage - No alteration is made to, and no text or image is superimposed over, any published image which: (a) intentionally obscures or removes a sponsor identification image; or (b) adds or overlays the commercial identification of any third party which is not officially associated with the FIFA World Cup) EPA-EFE/ROBERT GHEMENT EDITORIAL USE ONLY

Fifa World Cup: defending champions Germany sent packing from Russia 2018 after stunning defeat to South Korea

Germany’s Mario Gomez sits dejected at the end of the group F game that saw his country ejected from the 2018 World Cup. Photo: AFP

South Korea's players celebrate a goal during the group F match between South Korea and Germany, at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Kazan Arena in Kazan, Russia, Wednesday, June 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Soccer Football - World Cup - Group F - South Korea vs Germany - Kazan Arena, Kazan, Russia - June 27, 2018 Germany coach Joachim Low looks dejected during the match REUTERS/Michael Dalder

Two supporters of the German national football cry at a public viewing event at the Fanmeile in Berlin to watch the Russia 2018 World Cup Group F football match between South Korea and Germany where the reigning world champions were defeated 0-2 on June 27, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / John MACDOUGALL

Fifa World Cup: South Korea consul general to Mexico drinks tequila shots with fans at embassy after Germany shock

A football fan holds a flag of South Korea as thousands watch the World Cup match between Mexico and Sweden on a screen at the Angel de la Independencia Monument in Mexico City. Photo: AFP

Soccer Football - World Cup - Group F - Mexico vs Sweden - Zocalo Square, Mexico City, Mexico - June 27, 2018 Mexican soccer fans celebrate with a South Korean citizen. REUTERS/Gustavo Graf

Mexico fans celebrate at the end of the World Cup group F match between Germany and South Korea, at a public event at the Zocalo Square in Mexico City, on June 27, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / JOHAN ORDONEZ

Soccer Football - World Cup - Group F - Mexico v Sweden - Embassy of South Korea, Mexico City, Mexico - June 27, 2018 South Korea's Consul General in Mexico Han Byoung-jin reacts as Mexican soccer fans celebrate outside the embassy. REUTERS/Gustavo Martinez

Fifa World Cup: South Korean players thought Germany win was enough to go through

South Korea’s players thought they had done enough to seal their passage to the knockout stag of the World Cup after their historic win over Germany. Photo: AFP

South Korea's Son Heung-min celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the group F match between South Korea and Germany, at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Kazan Arena in Kazan, Russia, Wednesday, June 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

A woman reacts during the broadcast of the World Cup Group F soccer match between Germany and South Korea, in central Seoul, South Korea, June 27, 2018. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

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Football

South Korea team gives supporters hope after shock victory, with online petitions urging president not to ‘waste their talent in the military’


Fifa World Cup: South Korea fans urge Moon Jae-in to exempt players from national service after Germany win

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}South Korea team gives supporters hope after shock victory, with online petitions urging president not to ‘waste their talent in the military’

South Korea team gives supporters hope after shock victory, with online petitions urging president not to ‘waste their talent in the military’