South Korea men’s national football team head coach Hong Myung-bo has resigned following the country’s disappointing exit from the FIFA World Cup, as President Lee Jae-myung called for an investigation into the team’s performance.
Hong announced his resignation on Sunday, taking full responsibility after South Korea failed to progress beyond the group stage.
“I apologise to our fans. The responsibility rests entirely with me as head coach,” Hong said during a press conference, adding that although he was stepping down, he would continue supporting Korean football.
Ranked 32nd in the FIFA men’s rankings and led by captain Son Heung-min, South Korea finished third in Group A with one win and two defeats, ending behind Mexico and South Africa.
The team’s hopes of advancing as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams were dashed on Saturday following results in other groups.
Criticism intensified after South Korea’s 1-0 defeat to South Africa in their final group-stage match, with many fans expressing frustration over the team’s early elimination.
Reacting to the exit, President Lee Jae-myung described the outcome as deeply disappointing and called for a thorough review of the team’s management.
In a statement shared on social media, Lee suggested the poor performance reflected failures in organisation and personnel decisions, adding that competence should always take precedence over favouritism in leadership appointments.
Hong’s appointment as national team coach in 2024 had been controversial. While celebrated as the captain who led South Korea to a historic World Cup semi-final appearance in 2002, he also coached the team at the 2014 World Cup, where they failed to win a match or advance beyond the group stage.
His return as head coach drew criticism from supporters, with some accusing the Korea Football Association of overlooking other qualified candidates in favour of familiar figures within the organisation.
Addressing those concerns, Hong said accepting the role had not been an easy decision and insisted every choice he made was with the best interests of Korean football in mind.
Meanwhile, South Korean police have increased security at Incheon International Airport and other locations after an online death threat targeting Hong surfaced ahead of his return to the country, according to local media reports.
Authorities are monitoring the situation as investigations into the threat continue.
