Hong Myung-bo has resigned as coach of the South Korean men’s national team after failing to advance to the knockout stages of the World Cup.
This team was hoping to still be able to enter the next round of the competition as one of the third placed teams, but that hope was dashed on Saturday.
The early exit sparked widespread criticism at home, with President Lee Jae-myung calling for an investigation into the reasons behind the team’s disappointment.
Hong apologized to fans on Sunday and said the responsibility “lies with me as the head coach”.
Ranked 32nd in the FIFA men’s rankings and led by star player Son Heung-min, South Korea recorded two defeats and one win at the World Cup, finishing behind Mexico and South Africa, ranked 15th and 60th respectively.
Criticism quickly escalated after the team’s final match against South Africa on Thursday, in which South Korea lost 1-0.
The defeat left South Korea in third place in Group A, but still gave them hope of a place in the next round under a new rule introduced by expanding the tournament from 32 to 48 teams, which allows the eight best third-placed teams from the group stage to advance to the knockout rounds.
Announcing his resignation at a press conference in western Mexico, Hong said “we did not deliver the results our fans expected”.
“Although I am leaving the national team, I am not abandoning Korean football at all,” said Hong. “I will enjoy the national team from the bottom of my heart and I hope that the team will once again be trusted and loved by the people.
The announcement came after President Lee said he was not only confused but confused by the unexpected result.
In a post on X, Lee said the team’s early exit “appears to be a failure of the organization and personnel”.
“If favoritism and discrimination come first than skill in choosing a commander, the result is seen as paper on fire,” he said.
Hong’s appointment as a coach was a hot topic from the start. The defender was the hero of South Korea’s 2002 World Cup success, captaining the team to a historic semi-final finish at the time. But when he took charge of the team as coach in 2014, they failed to advance to the group stage – or win a single game.
When Hong was appointed to the same job again in 2024, he encountered severe upheaval. Many football fans have criticized the appointment of the old guard of the football association giving their friend the top job, as the KFA passed on several foreign-born players who had been heavily vetted.
On Sunday, Hong said “accepting the job was not an easy choice”.
“I can’t say that every decision was right, but I can tell you that I made every decision with Korean football in mind,” he added.
South Korean police said they are looking into security threats at Incheon Airport and other locations after Hong received online death threats when he returned to Korea over the weekend, local media reported.
