South Korean center back Kim Min-jae on Monday apologized for his action following a recent World Cup qualifying match against Palestine in Seoul, where he clashed with some fans over their booing.

South Korea settled for a goalless draw against Palestine to begin the third round last Thursday in Seoul, despite being 73 spots higher than their opponent in the FIFA rankings at No. 23.

Nearly 60,000 fans that flocked to Seoul World Cup Stadium booed South Korea's head coach, Hong Myung-bo, during the prematch introduction and also throughout the match whenever Hong was shown on the stadium's two scoreboards.

Fans were voicing their displeasure with the opaque way the Korea Football Association (KFA) hired Hong in July, and jeers were directed at Hong and KFA President Chung Mong-gyu. During the match, fans tried to will South Korea to score with loud cheers, though the players failed to respond.

When boos kept raining down after the final whistle, Kim walked toward the South Korean supporters' section on one end of the pitch and asked fans to calm down. After the match, Kim said he felt fans wanted the national team to fail, but insisted he didn't mean any harm toward fans and he only tried to ask them nicely. But there was apparent misunderstanding on the part of some fans, as they attacked Kim on his social media page for provoking them.

With South Korea in Muscat this week to play Oman in the next World Cup qualifier, Kim defended his decision to confront fans about their jeering but apologized for how he went about it.

"I tried to plead with fans, and I don't think I did anything wrong by telling them what I thought," Kim said at a prematch press conference at a Muscat hotel. "However, I think what I did afterward was wrong."

With captain Son Heung-min leading the way, the South Korean players lined up in front of the supporters' section and bowed. Kim, however, did not bow and instead stared down fans while keeping his hands on his hips.

Kim said he has not been shaken up by the incident, but it forced him to think long and hard about how he should build relationships with fans.

"I heard that fans have decided not to boo at future matches, and I appreciate that," Kim said. "I do think my action was wrong."

Kim and South Korea will take on Oman on Tuesday in their second Group B match in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualifying tournament. The match kicks off at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat at 6 p.m. local time, or 11 p.m. in South Korea.

While some fans may not be happy with Hong's presence on the bench, Kim couldn't have asked for a better mentor. Back in his playing days, Hong was considered one of the best center backs in Asia. Kim, who is plying his trade for the German giants Bayern Munich, is trying to follow in Hong's footsteps. Despite an up-and-down spell with Bayern, Kim is still regarded as one of the top defenders in this continent.

"It's great to be with someone who was the best defender in Korea and who has so much coaching experience," Kim said. "He can give me immediate feedback and advice. I always try to keep his words in mind and execute them on the pitch." (Yonhap)