Hong Myung-bo resigned as South Korea's head coach on Sunday, a day after his team's group-stage elimination from the World Cup and following harsh criticism from President Lee Jae Myung.
Second World Cup failure under Hong
The 57-year-old former captain, in his second stint as coach, led South Korea to an early World Cup exit for the second time, mirroring the failure in 2014. South Korea were expected to advance from Group A, which included co-hosts Mexico, South Africa, and Czechia. However, they lost 1-0 to both South Africa and Mexico, finishing with three points from a single 2-1 victory over Czechia.
President's condemnation and apology
Hong's resignation came hours after President Lee Jae Myung lashed out at the team's performance, blaming "incompetent people" and apologizing to the nation. In a post on X, Lee stated: "When loyalty and factionalism are valued over competence, and incompetent people are appointed to leadership positions, the outcome is all but inevitable. I offer my deepest apologies to the public for the profound disappointment caused by this unacceptable outcome. We will move swiftly to reform sports administration to ensure that nothing like this happens again."
Hong's defense and resignation
Hong, who was deeply unpopular with fans and media even before the tournament, defended his decisions. "Over the past two years I asked myself the same question whenever I had to make important decisions, select players or prepare for training sessions and matches: 'Is this the right choice for Korean football?'" he told reporters in Mexico, according to Yonhap News Agency. "I cannot say every decision has been the right one, but I can tell you that I have made every decision with Korean football in mind."
Son Heung-min benching backfires
Hong dropped veteran captain Son Heung-min for the South Africa game, where a draw would have sufficed for progression, but the gamble backfired. After stepping down, Hong said he would always be a fan: "I will cheer for the national team from the bottom of my heart and hope that the team will be trusted and loved by the people once again."
