GUADALAJARA, June 29 — Hong Myung-bo resigned as head coach of South Korea this morning following the country's group-stage exit from the World Cup, as President Lee Jae Myung blamed the early elimination on favouritism in personnel appointments and demanded a sports ministry-led investigation into the national team's performance.
Hong made the announcement at the team's training camp in Guadalajara after the results early yesterday meant South Korea would not advance to the round of 32 as one of the eight third-placed finishers from the group stage.
"I would like to sincerely apologise to the citizens who have loved Korean football and always supported the national team," Hong said.
"Today, I wish to step down as head coach of the South Korean national football team. Accepting this role was never an easy decision for me.
"However, once I made that decision, I did not consider any other reasons. I believed my only task was to fulfil the responsibility entrusted to me to the end."
Hong was appointed in July 2024 as the long-term replacement for Juergen Klinsmann and guided South Korea to an 11th successive World Cup appearance.
Expectations were high that a squad featuring Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in and Kim Min-jae would advance to the knockout rounds from a group featuring co-hosts Mexico, Czech Republic and South Africa.
South Korea began their campaign with a 2-1 win over the Czechs, but defeats by Mexico and South Africa left them needing results in other groups to go their way to progress.
"I failed to deliver the results the public expected," Hong said. "The responsibility lies entirely with me."
Lee criticised the team's elimination in a post on X yesterday, saying he was "utterly baffled" by the outcome after South Korea had been widely expected to advance from what was seen as a relatively easy group.
"Once again, it has been proven that personnel decisions are everything. When 'us versus them' is prioritised over competence, and an incompetent person is selected as a leader, the outcome is as clear as day," Lee wrote.
Hong's reappointment as national team manager in 2024 had already drawn allegations of favouritism and an opaque hiring process from Korean media, all of which Hong denied.
"The reason such botched appointments — which fail to distinguish between public and private interests and prioritise personal gain over the public good — are possible is that it is impossible or difficult to monitor, check, and hold those with appointment authority accountable," Lee wrote.
A petition to dismiss Hong posted on the National Assembly website on Thursday quickly gained the signatures required for an initial review, while social media posts showing shops with signs banning Hong from the premises have gone viral in South Korea.
"The failure to qualify, which has left the public feeling disheartened, appears to be the result of organisational and personnel failures," Lee said.
"I ask that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism thoroughly investigate the exact circumstances of this incident, analyse its causes, and develop measures to prevent recurrence and ensure improvement."
