Kondae culture controversy Jens Kastroff culture, intention to criticize NO, and culture of helping each other (Q&A)
Oct 07, 2025
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Jens Kastroff (Borussia Mönchengladbach) has spoken out on the recent 'Kondae culture controversy'.
The South Korean national football team will play an A match against Brazil in October at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 10th. 'Hong Myung-bo' will face the strongest opponent since the launch of the second period. Brazil is sixth in the FIFA rankings. Korea is ranked 23rd. Korea is also inferior to Korea with one win and seven losses. He also bowed to 1-4 in the round of 16 at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the most recent match. Korea's only victory came in March 1999, when Hong Myung-bo was a player. At that time, South Korea won 1-0 at Jamsil Main Stadium.
Castrov is aiming for the match against Brazil under Hong's call. He joined the national team's call-up training on the 7th.
At an official press conference on the 7th, Kastrov said "I'm always mentally prepared. It's a pretty big game against Brazil. There are many famous players, but I'm always enjoying myself and preparing for this gameSince arriving in Korea, he has been very happy. I was very happy that many fans welcomed me at the airport. I visited Korea last December. It felt different from then. At that time, there were not many fans who knew me. This time, as soon as I arrived at the airport, I could feel the fans' great support."
In an interview with the German press Kicker, Kastrov said, `Son Heung-min is a Korean hero and a great leader. It brings the team together. I stay very close to everyone involved, including the coaching staff. a great man with an astonishing character.'
He said "We played Korean soccer bravely. It was an intense experience. There were many Korean fans in New York (the U.S.), so it was like a home game"All the players are polite. Bow down to each other. The hierarchy according to age is also very clear. In general, there is a strong respect for the elderly. The young player gets into the elevator late. They also bring fruit after meals." However, his words were read as 'Kkondae Culture' by some, which caused controversy.
Kastroff said, `It's not my intention to criticize Korean culture or anything bad. I wanted to talk a little about the culture of helping each other in the Korean national team. I wanted to mention the culture of helping each other, supporting each other, eating together, and helping each other regardless of age.
The following is the Q&A with Kastroff.
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▶I've been very happy since I arrived. I was very happy that many fans welcomed me at the airport. I visited Korea last December. It felt different from then. At that time, there were not many fans who knew me. This time, as soon as I arrived at the airport, I could feel the fans' great support.
- The determination to face Brazil.
▶I'm always mentally prepared. It's a pretty big game against Brazil. There are a lot of famous players, but I'm always enjoying it and preparing for how to prepare well for this game.
- Current physical condition and condition.
▶It's quite good conditionally. The team is in a bit of a difficult state. I think the A-match break will help the players of their teams gain confidence again. I'm in great shape. However, I am feeling a little bit of time difference.
- How to overcome jet lag and advice from around you.
▶I'm trying to sleep at night while holding out as much as I can. It's a little hard, but I usually got used to it after 2-3 days. There are three days left before the game. I think I will be able to recover well and prepare well before the game.
- Fans' eyes have been raised even more.
▶Many people are watching the game. There's a lot of broadcasting, too. Of course, I think there is this part. I think it's part of our job to have criticism if we don't have good performance. Even if my performance is not good, I think it is my role to humbly accept this criticism and do my best to show better results next time. I think it's my calling.
- He is in a more aggressive position in his team.
▶ It is a more aggressive option in his team. He is also active as a winger on the left. I am confident as a midfielder. Regardless of the position, I'm quite confident. In fact, I am a player who does my best in the position the coach wants rather than in the position. Rather than thinking where the best position is, I'm going to focus on the game and do my best.
- There is a view that he expressed Korean culture negatively during recent interviews.
▶I didn't mean to criticize Korean culture or show such things badly at all. I wanted to talk a little about the culture of helping each other in the Korean national team. I wanted to mention the culture of helping each other, supporting each other, eating and helping each other regardless of age.
- How much can you communicate in Korean.
▶I understood the words, but there was a part where it was difficult to understand because the words were quite fast. I'm putting a lot of effort into learning Korean.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
