South Korea’s national football team coach, Hong Myung-bo, resigned on Sunday following the team’s early elimination from the World Cup. This decision came after President Lee Jae Myung sharply criticized both the coach and the national team’s performance.
South Korea started the tournament with a victory over the Czech Republic but subsequently lost to South Africa and Mexico in their Group A matches. The team still hoped to advance as one of the third-place teams in the expanded tournament, but these hopes were dashed when Congo defeated Uzbekistan 3-1.
The unexpected exit created turmoil within the national team program. President Lee rebuked the coach with strong comments, emphasizing his disappointment. “As a former honorary professional football club chairman and, at heart, a member of the Red Devils, I feel not just surprise but deep bewilderment at this unexpected result,” Lee stated. He criticized the criteria used for appointing the coach, arguing that loyalty and factionalism had been prioritized over competence.
Hong Myung-bo, 57, expressed his regret and announced his resignation with an apology to the fans before the team left Mexico. “To all of the Korean people who love and support our national team, I would like to genuinely apologize. Today, I’d like to announce that I will step down as the national team head coach,” Hong said.
Hong also stated, “As the head coach, no explanation can supersede the ultimate result. I could not bring the result that our people had expected. All responsibilities are with me.” This was his second term with the team, after coaching during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Despite recent disappointments, South Korea has been a consistent participant in the World Cup, with 11 consecutive appearances. They even reached the semifinals when co-hosting the tournament in 2002.
President Lee called for a comprehensive review by the national Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. “I sincerely apologize to the public for the deep disappointment caused by this absurd situation. We will move swiftly to reform sports administration to ensure this does not happen again,” he stated.
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