Coach apologizes to fans, says responsibility for World Cup failure rests entirely with him
Hong Myung-bo announced his resignation Sunday as head coach of the South Korean men’s national soccer team, apologizing for the squad’s disappointing early elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The 57-year-old had signed a contract with the Korea Football Association to lead the team through the 2027 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup. He was appointed head coach on July 8, 2024, after a controversial selection process.
“I would like to offer my sincere apologies to the people of Korea who love soccer and supported the national team. I am resigning from my post as head coach of the national team,” he said at a press conference at the team’s training site in Zapopan, Mexico. “We did not deliver the results the fans expected, and the responsibility falls entirely on me.”
“I cannot say all of my decisions were the correct ones, but I made them with Korean soccer in mind,” Hong said.
Hong faced criticism over his tactical decisions throughout his second stint leading South Korea, including his decision to bring captain Son Heung-min off the bench in the 1-0 loss to South Africa last Wednesday.
Hong did not go into further detail about those decisions, saying he was there to take responsibility for the World Cup results.
The coach read from a prepared statement and left without taking questions.
Korea finished third in Group A with one win over the Czech Republic and losses to Mexico and South Africa. The team had hoped to advance as one of the eight best third-place finishers, which would have secured a place in the Round of 32, but those hopes vanished on the final day of the group stage Saturday.
This marks the second time Hong has served as Korea’s World Cup head coach and failed to lead the team into the knockout stages. A renowned former player, he helped South Korea reach the semifinals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup as the team’s captain and became the first Asian player to win the Bronze Ball.
He is also the only person to have coached Korea at two separate World Cups.
Hong’s second stint as head coach came under fierce controversy. He was not one of the two final candidates initially considered for the job, and the KFA bypassed the final candidate interview and presentation process before confirming his appointment.
The public expressed doubts over the transparency of the appointment process, which led to an extensive probe by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The ministry later demanded disciplinary action against KFA President Chung Mong-gyu and other high-ranking executives.
The national team’s early exit further fueled public outrage, as many fans already viewed Hong unfavorably because of the controversy surrounding his appointment.
Korea had been viewed by many as the second-strongest team in Group A behind host nation Mexico, and was favored to make at least the knockout stage. The group did not include any traditional heavyweight, and the tournament had expanded to 48 nations, meaning eight of the 12 third-place teams would advance.
Hong is the third head coach to step down during the 2026 World Cup, after Tunisia fired Sabri Lamouchi following one match and Steve Clarke of Scotland resigned after his team’s elimination.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
