Hong Myung-bo resigned as the head coach of the South Korean national football team on Sunday, following a disappointing exit from the World Cup just a day earlier. His departure comes in the wake of strong criticism from the country’s president regarding the team’s lackluster performance.
The 57-year-old, who previously captained the team, was in his second stint as coach after a similar outcome in the 2014 World Cup. With hopes high for advancing from Group A, which included co-hosts Mexico along with South Africa and Czechia, South Korea struggled. They suffered losses of 1-0 to both South Africa and Mexico, managing only a 2-1 victory over Czechia, finishing the tournament with just three points.
Reflecting on his time in charge during a press conference in Mexico, Hong remarked, “Over the past two years I asked myself the same question whenever I had to make important decisions, select players or prepare for training session and matches: ‘Is this the right choice for Korean football?’” He recognized the challenges involved in his decision-making, stating, “I can not say every decision has been the right one, but I can tell you that I have made every decision with Korean football in mind.”
The resignation followed pointed remarks from President Lee Jae Myung, who publicly criticized the team’s performance and labeled those responsible as “When loyalty and factionalism are valued over competence, and incompetent people are appointed to leadership positions, the outcome is all but inevitable,” while offering an apology to the nation for the disappointing results.
“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,” Lee stated in a post on X. “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.” he added, without providing further specifics.
Despite facing widespread criticism from fans and media leading up to the tournament, Hong made contentious decisions, including the exclusion of veteran captain Son Heung-min from the starting lineup against South Africa. This proved to be a costly mistake, as the team needed at least a draw to advance.
Having endured boos from fans during home matches since taking the helm in July 2024, Hong expressed his enduring support for the national team after stepping down. “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,” he affirmed.
