Park Hang-seo, through his agency, says he protested to stop the abuse of his player and to protect him
Park Hang-seoHead coach of Kanchanaburi Power FC; statement issued through his management agency, DJ Management
In a November 6 statement issued through his management agency, DJ Management, Park says he saw continuing insults and racist abuse directed at forward John Baggio, protested to the spectators to stop it, and was fulfilling a coach's responsibility to protect his players.
Responding to
Park Hang-seo's conduct after the November 1 match, beckoning Pattaya United supporters to come down and face him and gesturing back at them while he was suspended for the game, was improper conduct in public that could lead to disorder at the venue.
“However, at the time he witnessed continuing personal insults and racist words and behavior directed at his player, and he protested to the spectators to stop them ... He did not turn away from a situation in which his player was being unjustly insulted, and sought to fulfill his responsibility as a coach who must protect his players (Translated from Korean. Original: 그러나 당시 자신의 선수를 향해 지속적으로 이어지는 인격적인 모욕과 인종차별적 언행을 목격했고, 이를 중단시키기 위해 관중에게 항의했다 ... 자신의 선수가 부당한 모욕을 당하는 상황을 외면하지 않고, 선수를 보호해야 하는 지도자로서의 책임을 다하고자 했다)”
Reporting
Reporting
Where this statement fits
FA Thailand suspends Park Hang-seo two matches for confronting Pattaya United fans it found had racially abused him and his player
On November 1, 2026, Kanchanaburi Power FC drew 2-2 away to Pattaya United in Thai League 2 at Nong Prue Stadium in Pattaya. After the match, Kanchanaburi head coach Park Hang-seo, who was serving a suspension for that game, argued with Pattaya United supporters near the walkway to the dressing rooms. Korean and Vietnamese outlets reported that spectators repeatedly called Park "kimchi man", a slur against Koreans, and that Park first signaled for quiet and then shouted at them to come down. Kanchanaburi's president said the words monkey and kimchi were used, and forward John Baggio said a foreign man had called him a monkey. On November 6, Park's management agency said he had protested to stop continuing insults and racist abuse of Baggio, as part of a coach's responsibility to protect his players. On November 11, FA Thailand published the decision of its Disciplinary and Ethics Committee. The committee found that supporters it described as foreign nationals shouted racist abuse at Park, rejecting their denial after reviewing video. It also found that, although it could not identify who shouted skin-color abuse at Baggio, his account placed it in the Pattaya United supporters' area, which was enough to penalize the supporters. It imposed two fines of 20,000 baht over the supporters' conduct. It said acting to protect players is permissible but must stay within the bounds of appropriateness and maturity, found that Park had beckoned the supporters to come down and face him, and suspended him for two matches with a 13,333 baht fine.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Korean-language Star News report of November 6, 2026, quoting at length the statement Park Hang-seo's management agency, DJ Management, issued that day. The agency says the statement is based on the written explanations Park and player John Baggio submitted to FA Thailand.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
Korean-language SBS News report of November 6, 2026, describing the post-match confrontation and quoting the statement from DJ Management, Park Hang-seo's management agency.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
After Kanchanaburi Power FC's 2-2 draw at Pattaya United on November 1, Park argued with home supporters on his way to the dressing room. The agency says its statement is based on the written explanations Park and forward John Baggio submitted to FA Thailand. It says Baggio reported that some opposing supporters insulted him and mocked his appearance during and after the match, including with the racist word monkey. It adds that Park is well aware of a coach's responsibility to control his emotions.
After the quotation
The agency says Park was also insulted over his Korean nationality while he protested, that he respects Thai football and its fans, and that it hoped FA Thailand's proceedings on November 10 would establish what happened. It says Park will remain Kanchanaburi Power's coach.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is Park Hang-seo's confrontation with Pattaya United supporters after the November 1 match, for which FA Thailand later suspended him. The statement says he protested to stop abuse he witnessed and presents that as part of a coach's duty to protect his players, which argues that the confrontation was justified. The agency also says Park knows a coach must control his emotions, but it does not say his response was wrong, so we labeled it Defended or excused rather than Mixed or conditional.
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More from this case
Read the full caseFA Thailand says protecting players is allowed but finds Park Hang-seo's response to the supporters improper
Football Association of Thailand
“Acting to protect players is permissible, but the expression must stay within the bounds of appropriateness and maturity and must not cause further conflict ... but instead he left the players' dressing room for the walkway and gestured back at the opposing supporters, which was improper conduct in public that could lead to disorder at the venue (Translated from Thai. Original: การกระทำเพื่อปกป้องนักกีฬานั้นสามารถกระทำได้ แต่การแสดงออกต้องอยู่ภายใต้ขอบเขตของความเหมาะสม มีวุฒิภาวะ และไม่ก่อให้เกิดความขัดแย้งเพิ่มเติม ... แต่กลับปรากฏพฤติการณ์ออกจากห้องพักนักกีฬาไปยังบริเวณทางเดิน และแสดงท่าทางโต้ตอบกับกองเชียร์ฝ่ายตรงข้าม อันเป็นการแสดงกิริยาที่ไม่เหมาะสมต่อหน้าสาธารณชนอันอาจนำไปสู่ความไม่สงบเรียบร้อยในสถานที่จัดการแข่งขัน)”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Park Hang-seo, through his agency, says he protested to stop the abuse of his player and to protect him". First published: 2026-11-12. Last updated: 2026-11-12. https://disputeindex.com/events/8661-in-a-november-6-statement-issued-through-his