Crack on! South Korea will not punish angry fans for airport ‘egg assault’ on players after World Cup 2018 exit

AFP/Getty Images
Standard Sport3 July 2018

The Korea Football Association will not bring charges against fans who pelted the national team with eggs after they arrived home from the World Cup.

South Korea lost their first two games, to Sweden and Mexico, and exited the tournament despite beating Germany in their final group match, sending the world champions home with them.

While the result salved some of the wounds from a second consecutive early exit at a World Cup, some fans were furious with the team’s showing and threw eggs at them as they were lining up for a photograph at Incheon airport.

But an airport police spokesman said: “We first checked the KFA’s intention whether it wants to punish the offenders before we launch our investigation. Throwing eggs is considered assault, but it’s also an offence which can’t be prosecuted without the victim’s objection.”

Four years ago the team were pelted with toffees -- an insult in Korea -- when they returned home from Brazil after a miserable World Cup campaign.

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