South Korea national football team head coach Hong Myung-bo leaves a press conference where he announced his resignation at Chivas Valle Verde in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico, on Saturday (local time), after the team was eliminated in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. [Yonhap]
South Korea national football team head coach Hong Myung-bo leaves a press conference where he announced his resignation at Chivas Valle Verde in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico, on Saturday (local time), after the team was eliminated in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. [Yonhap]

International media have taken notice of Hong Myung-bo's announcement that he would step down as South Korea's national football team head coach, taking responsibility for the team's poor showing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.

The Associated Press reported Sunday (Korean Standard Time) that Hong's resignation came after South Korea's early World Cup exit "caused significant turmoil in Korean football," with President Lee Jae Myung directing sharp criticism at the coach. "He ultimately decided to resign after receiving a scathing rebuke from the president, who called him incompetent," the AP said.

Earlier, President Lee posted on social media that "once again, it has been proven that personnel decisions are everything," adding that "when you select an incompetent person as commander by prioritizing loyalty over ability, the outcome is as plain as day." Lee also directed his criticism at the Korea Football Association.

British outlet The Guardian said Hong "had failed to win the trust of fans and the Korean media even before the tournament began" and "faced relentless criticism throughout." The paper added that he "gambled by leaving captain Son Heung-min out of the starting lineup against South Africa — a match in which a draw would have been enough to advance to the round of 32 — and it ultimately backfired."

South Korea opened the tournament on a bright note, coming from behind to beat the Czech Republic 2-1 in their group-stage opener. The team then lost back-to-back matches against co-host Mexico and South Africa — a side considered weaker on paper — finishing third in their group. The defeat to South Africa drew particular criticism, as Hong had left both captain Son Heung-min and key midfielder Lee Jae-sung out of the starting lineup, with many saying the coach had invited the loss himself.

At this World Cup, the top eight third-place finishers across all groups advance to the round of 32, but South Korea ranked 10th among third-place teams, falling short of the cutoff.


yeongdai@heraldcorp.com