TV personality Jonathan Yiombi has become the target of online abuse after the Democratic Republic of the Congo defeated Uzbekistan at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a result that officially ended South Korea’s tournament campaign.

On June 28, DR Congo secured an impressive victory over Uzbekistan in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup. The result eliminated South Korea from the tournament, marking the first time since the 2018 World Cup that the Korean national team failed to advance beyond the group stage.

Following the heartbreaking exit, some frustrated football fans turned their anger toward Jonathan simply because he was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. His social media accounts were soon flooded with malicious comments from upset supporters.

Among the messages left under Jonathan’s latest post were remarks such as, “Be honest, you were secretly cheering for Congo, weren’t you?”, “Why haven’t you apologized to us yet?”, and “It’s because of you that our national team failed to reach the Round of 32.”

However, many netizens quickly stepped in to defend the entertainer, criticizing those directing their frustration at him. Supportive comments included, “Why are people taking it out on Jonathan?” and “Jonathan didn’t do anything wrong.”

Jonathan has previously shared that although he was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he moved to Gwangju, South Korea, when he was still in elementary school. He has explained that he has very few memories of his birth country and has long considered himself Korean.

Sources: Nate