South Korea Coach Resigns After World Cup Exit

South Korean football coach Hong Myung-bo resigned on Sunday following the national team’s swift exit from the World Cup. The team’s elimination led to strong criticism from South Korea’s President, who labeled the coach as “incapable” and demanded a comprehensive review of the national team’s program.

South Korea won its opening match against the Czech Republic. However, the team lost its subsequent group matches to South Africa and Mexico. The hope of qualifying as one of the top third-place teams vanished when Congo defeated Uzbekistan 3-1 on Saturday. The early elimination left the national team program in turmoil and resulted in sharp criticism from President Lee Jae Myung, who openly questioned the coach’s competency.

“As a former honorary professional football club chairman and a member of the Red Devils at heart, I am not only surprised but deeply confused by this unexpected outcome,” stated the President.

The President criticized the team’s structure and oversight and questioned the original decision to appoint Hong as coach. He emphasized that personnel choices must be based on competence, not loyalty or factionalism, to avoid predictable failures.

Hong, 57, expressed his regret and apologized to South Korean fans before the team departed their base camp in Mexico, where they had played all three group matches. This stint marked Hong’s second time coaching the national team at a World Cup, following a similar outcome in Brazil in 2014.

“I sincerely apologize to all Koreans who support our national team,” Hong remarked. “I will resign as the head coach. I take full responsibility for not delivering the expected results.”

He acknowledged his role in the failure and pledged continued support for Korean football, hoping to help regain the trust and love of the fans. South Korea has a long history of World Cup participation, having appeared in the last 11 tournaments and reaching the semifinals as co-host in 2002.

President Lee called upon the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to investigate the team’s shortcomings. He vowed to reform sports administration to prevent future disappointments.