Seoul: After hearing home fans boo his head coach even during a convincing victory Tuesday night, South Korean midfielder Lee Kang-in had enough. Lee scored a goal to help South Korea past Kuwait 4-0 in their final World Cup qualification match at Seoul World Cup Stadium. And because South Korea had already booked their spot last week, Tuesday's match was billed as an occasion to celebrate South Korea for qualifying for their 11th consecutive World Cup. According to Yonhap News Agency, nearly 42,000 fans showed their love for the players, with Lee drawing the loudest cheers among the starting players. However, the boo birds were out for head coach Hong Myung-bo before and during the contest, whenever he was shown on the two scoreboards at the stadium. Hong has been an unpopular figure since he was appointed as the national team boss for the second time, following an unsuccessful, one-year run that ended after South Korea's early exit from the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Hong was also jeered at his first match back with South Korea, in a World Cup qualifier against Palestine in September 2024 in Seoul. Three wins that followed that match seemed to have chased those boo birds away last fall, but they were back Tuesday night -- apparently not happy with South Korea's inability to lock down the World Cup berth in March when they had two matches at home. At the end of his 10-minute press conference as the Player of the Match, Lee, unprompted, asked people to stop being so critical of both Hong and the Korea Football Association (KFA). "There are people out there attacking and criticizing our head coach and the KFA. But since we players are also part of the federation and the coach is our boss, people's criticism also affects us if they get out of hand," Lee said. "I'd like to ask people to see the more positive side of our team. That will help us play better at the World Cup. I hope people will help us and keep supporting us." Lee has not exactly been an outspoken member of the national team and has been better know n for offering stock answers in interviews. But standing up for his head coach and the team Tuesday likely comes from Lee's understanding that he is no longer just a kid on the team and he has to shoulder some responsibility as a leader. Though still just 24, Lee has already collected 38 caps. The young veteran now has a few teammates his junior, including four members of Tuesday's starting lineup. "I'd like to thank those young guys for playing so well tonight," Lee said. Bae Jun-ho, 21, contributed two assists, and Oh Hyeon-gyu, two months younger than Lee, scored once and hit a goal post once. "And older guys also helped out a great deal with their words of advice," Lee added. "Together, we will try to build a strong team going forward." Lee made his World Cup debut in Qatar in 2022 and helped South Korea reach the round of 16. He will most likely be back on the team for next year's tournament, though he said no one, including himself, is assured of a spot on the 2026 squad just yet. "The World Cup is no t an easy tournament, and you have to go in there in your best form," Lee said. "Everyone should be trying their best on their clubs." At the moment, which club Lee will play for next season remains up in the air. He has just finished his second season with the French giants Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), but he gradually lost his playing time in recent weeks. He has been subject to some transfer speculation, with the Italian club Napoli recently emerging as a potential destination. "Honestly, I don't know what will happen in the future," Lee said. "No matter where I am, whether it's PSG or some other club, I will try to do my best and maintain my best form to help the team as much as I can."