"‘Hong Myungbo Banned from Entry’ Posted on Convenience Store Door... Headquarters Investigating Store Location"

Football Fans Say "It's Because of Team Performance"
GS Retail States "Store Has Not Been Identified"

As criticism continues to surround the national football team following the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup Asian qualifiers, a notice posted at a GS25 convenience store reading "Hong Myungbo is banned from entry" is generating buzz online.

A photo showing the phrase "Hong Myungbo is banned from entry" posted on the entrance door of a GS25 convenience store is becoming a hot topic in an online community. Photo by Jaehee Kwon

According to online communities and social networking services (SNS) on June 26, a photo of a notice attached to the entrance of a GS25 store is rapidly spreading. The photo shows the phrase "Hong Myungbo is banned from entry" printed on an A4 sheet bearing the GS25 logo, affixed to the entrance door.

The photo is eliciting a variety of reactions among football fans. Some interpret the notice as targeting Hong Myungbo, head coach of the national football team, in light of the team's recent performance.

The Korea national team suffered a 0-1 defeat to South Africa on June 25. Even a draw would have secured second place in the group and a spot in the round of 32, but with the loss to South Africa, Korea fell to third place in the group, leaving their fate for advancing to the round of 32 dependent on the results of other teams. As a result, criticism of Coach Hong Myungbo's tactics and the team's performance intensified. Online users have commented, "Not just banned from entering the store, he should be banned from entering the country," and "Where is this store? I want to support it financially," among other reactions.

However, it has not been confirmed whether the notice in the photo was actually intended to target Coach Hong Myungbo.

GS Retail, which operates GS25 convenience stores, has also begun fact-checking. A GS Retail representative stated, "It appears there has been a misunderstanding that this is an official company directive simply because company-issued paper, usually used for 1+1 promotions, was used." "The company is investigating the location of the store shown in the photo but has not yet identified it. The facts are still being checked," the representative added.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.