South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo resigns after World Cup exit as president demands probe

Group-stage exit

South Korea entered the 2026 World Cup with high expectations, ranked 32nd in the world and led by stars Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in and Kim Min-jae. Drawn into Group A alongside co-hosts Mexico, Czech Republic and South Africa, they opened with a 2-1 win over the Czechs. But a 1-0 loss to Mexico and another 1-0 defeat to South Africa, in a match where they only needed a draw to progress, left them third on three points. Under the expanded 48-team format, the eight best third-placed finishers advance to the round of 32, but results on Saturday confirmed South Korea would miss out.

Coach resigns

Hong Myung-bo announced his resignation at a press conference in Guadalajara on Sunday, a day after the elimination was sealed. The 57-year-old, who captained the side to the 2002 semi-finals, said he took full responsibility.

I failed to deliver the results the public expected. The responsibility lies entirely with me.

He reflected on his tenure: "Over the past two years I asked myself the same question whenever I had to make important decisions... 'Is this the right choice for Korean football?' 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." He added that he would continue to support the team: "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."

President's backlash

President Lee Jae-myung reacted with fury on social media, calling the outcome "utterly baffled" and blaming favouritism in personnel decisions.

When 'us versus them' is prioritised over competence, and an incompetent person is selected as a leader, the outcome is as clear as day.

He demanded the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism investigate the "organisational and personnel failures" and develop measures to prevent a recurrence. Lee also apologised to the nation for the disappointment, pledging to reform sports administration.

Controversial appointment

Hong's return to the national team job in July 2024 was contentious from the start. He had previously coached South Korea to a group-stage exit in 2014, after which fans pelted him with candy upon his return, a deep insult. Despite winning back-to-back K-League titles with Ulsan Hyundai, his reappointment sparked allegations of an opaque hiring process and favouritism, which he denied. His decision to drop captain Son Heung-min for the must-not-lose match against South Africa backfired, intensifying scrutiny.

Fan and political fallout

Public anger has been swift. A petition to dismiss Hong on the national assembly website quickly gathered enough signatures for review. Social media posts showing shops banning Hong went viral. No welcome ceremony is planned at Incheon airport for the returning players, a first in recent memory. The Korea Football Association now faces a government-led inquiry into how the campaign unravelled.