Kim Min-su's transfer to Rangers has ignited a digital frenzy in South Korea, with vloggers' coverage of the Old Firm derby surpassing 100,000 YouTube views. The rapid online engagement highlights the swelling interest in the defender's overseas career.
Two South Korean YouTube channels, Shoot for Love Korea and Mandol TV, with a combined subscriber base of over two million, attended Rangers' 3-0 Premier Sports Cup quarter-final victory over Celtic. Their match vlog quickly gained traction, with some fans reportedly traveling an estimated 11,000-mile round trip to Glasgow for the fixture.
The vloggers purchased a 'Minsu 10 Rangers' shirt at the Ibrox club shop and visited the Louden Tavern, where they received a warm welcome. One vlogger said, "The fans were incredibly kind and we even got free drinks," describing the atmosphere. Rangers supporters referenced Korean Premier League legends like Son Heung-min and Park Ji-sung in Korean-dubbed fan interviews.
Kim's Fast Start
Kim, who joined Rangers from Girona for £8.5 million last summer, has started all but one match since his arrival. He featured in the decisive win over Celtic, and his early performances earned him a call-up to the South Korean national team. His successful transition is clearly fueling a surge of interest in Rangers back home.
National Team Context
Meanwhile, Kim's national team currently sits 3rd in their World Cup qualifying group with 3 points from 3 games (1 win, 2 losses). The team is on a two-game losing streak, most recently falling 1-0 to South Africa on June 25th, and trails group leaders Mexico by 6 points.
The next test is a friendly against Ecuador at home on September 24th. This match presents a key opportunity to snap the losing run and fine-tune preparations ahead of the World Cup finals. The team's upcoming fixtures show a need to improve an attack that has scored only twice in three qualifiers. Many hope Kim's positive form abroad can translate to goals for the national side.
Further reading: Daily Record Football
