Hong Myung-bo documentary clip resurfaces as South Korea's World Cup tactics draw fire

A teaser for the Coupang Play documentary "Gukdae: Road to North America" [Coupang Play]

Criticism of South Korea's tactical approach at the 2026 World Cup is mounting after a string of frustrating performances under coach Hong Myung-bo. A documentary clip offering a rare glimpse into his tactical philosophy has resurfaced online, fueling the debate.

On Friday, a scene from the Coupang Play documentary "Gukdae: Road to North America" spread widely across online communities and social media. The documentary, which chronicles the national team's 594-day journey to the North American World Cup, was released June 11.

In the clip, Hong gathers his players to explain his three-back system. He began experimenting with the formation last year, replacing the team's established 4-2-3-1 setup with the three-defender scheme as his primary strategy starting with the East Asian Cup in July.

"This time I want to make a change — we'll play with three central defenders in a proper back-three shape," Hong tells his players in the meeting. "It may be difficult because it's not a position you're used to. But this can become the number-one most important tactic for our team."

In a separate training session, Hong is shown giving feedback after a drill on the new system. "The players on the wide sides and in the pockets up top need to wait patiently," he says. "The chance comes when you receive the ball in your own space and turn to go forward — but right now everyone is dropping deep, touching it once, touching it again. That's not really desirable."

Fans who came across the clip reacted with a mix of recognition and frustration. "So that's why the players were just standing there waiting," one user wrote. "I genuinely felt like they weren't running, but they were just doing what they were told," said another. Others asked simply: "Was waiting the tactic all along?"

Pundits unite in criticism of Korea's 'spectator' style of play

South Korea's Son Heung-min and teammates react after losing 0-1 to South Africa in their Group A match at the 2026 World Cup at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, on Wednesday local time. [Yonhap]

Former players have been scathing in their assessment of Hong's side after South Korea fell 0-1 to South Africa on Thursday in a lackluster display. The central complaint: even when the ball was played forward, support arrived too slowly, leaving attackers repeatedly isolated.

Park Ji-sung, a commentator for JTBC, said Lee Kang-in was being left to fend for himself. "When Lee Kang-in gets the ball, his teammates need to help him — but what you see instead is players just watching," Park said. "There's no collective movement to create space."

Ahn Jung-hwan, a former national team player turned broadcaster, said the team showed no willingness to take risks even while trailing. "There were no bold changes in formation or tactics even when we were losing," he said. "If you want to score, you have to get into the box — but there were far too many players sitting deep."

Former national team defender Park Joo-ho also kept up a steady stream of criticism directed at Hong's tactics, questioning a like-for-like striker substitution in the 73rd minute. "Shouldn't we have more attackers on the pitch right now?" he said.

Former national team player Ko Jong-su was equally blunt. "I wondered if the plan was just to draw," he said. "There were too many players at the back. What's the point of the ball going to Lee Kang-in or Oh Hyeon-gyu if there are no attacking numbers around them? Lee Kang-in kept dropping all the way back next to Kim Min-jae to receive the ball — that kept repeating itself."

bbo@heraldcorp.com