SEOUL, June 29. /Dunyo IA/. South Korea national football team head coach Hong Myung-bo has announced his resignation after the team’s performance at the FIFA World Cup, where it failed to reach the knockout stage, reports Dunyo IA correspondent, citing Yonhap news agency.

Speaking at a press conference in Mexico on Sunday, Hong Myung-bo apologized to the fans and said that responsibility for the team’s results “rests entirely with me as head coach.”

Ranked 32nd in the FIFA rankings and led by captain Son Heung-min, South Korea recorded one win and two defeats during the tournament. The team finished third in Group A behind Mexico and South Africa.

Despite a 1-0 loss to South Africa, South Korea still had a chance of advancing to the Round of 32 as one of the eight best third-placed teams under the tournament’s new 48-team format. However, the final results of other group matches on June 27 ended those hopes.

The team’s early exit triggered growing criticism of the head coach. The official supporters’ club, “Red Devils”, called him to “kneel before the entire nation and leave the football world forever.”

President Lee Jae Myung described the team’s elimination as “not just confusion but utter bewilderment at the unexpected outcome,” saying it reflected failures in organization and personnel management.

“When favouritism and cronyism take precedence over competence in selecting a commander, the result is as predictable as fire burning paper,” the president said, calling for an investigation into the reasons behind the team’s poor performance.

According to South Korean media, Hong Myung-bo’s appointment as head coach was controversial from the outset. The former national team captain was celebrated as a hero of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, when South Korea reached the semifinals for the first time in its history. However, during his previous spell as head coach at the 2014 World Cup, the team failed to win a single match or advance beyond the group stage.

His reappointment in 2024 also drew criticism, with many fans accusing the Korea Football Association of favouring an insider over other candidates who had undergone a rigorous selection process.

Meanwhile, South Korean police have stepped up security at Incheon International Airport and other locations after death threats against the ex-head coach appeared online ahead of the team’s return home.

Photo credit: BBC