Hong Myung-bo resigns as South Korea national team coach after World Cup elimination

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung publicly voiced his disappointment over the result on the platform X. "Da für die Teilnahme an der Weltmeisterschaft erhebliche Steuergelder und staatliche Ressourcen aufgewendet werden, bitte ich das Ministerium für Kultur, Sport und Tourismus, die genaue Situation und die Ursachen dieser Angelegenheit gründlich zu analysieren und Maßnahmen zur Verhinderung einer Wiederholung sowie zur Verbesserung sorgfältig zu prüfen," he said. He also stated that the outcome had "bei den Bürgern Enttäuschung ausgelöst" and appeared to "auf Versäumnisse in der Organisation und im Personalwesen zurückzuführen zu sein." The president said he was "angesichts dieses unerwarteten Ergebnisses nicht nur verblüfft, sondern empfinde es geradezu als absurd."

Political reactions

According to his statement, the president's criticism was directed above all at the decision by the domestic federation to appoint Hong as coach. Lee Jae-myung thereby directly attacked a personnel decision that normally falls within the autonomy of the national football association. Political observers view the move as an unusually direct intervention in sporting affairs.

The reaction in the South Korean media was sharp. The Korea Times reported that fans and experts had decried "schlechteste Leistung in der Geschichte des Fußballs." The Korea Herald wrote that the exit had reopened old wounds over Hong and the federation's leadership. With that, the paper was alluding to past controversies that had already shadowed the federation and Hong.

Media and former players

Former national team captain Park Ji-sung also weighed in on television. "Vielleicht haben wir das schon seit Jahren erwartet. Es ist bedauerlich, dass wir an diesem Punkt angelangt sind, an dem wir zurückblicken und uns fragen müssen, warum wir hier gelandet sind," he said. With these remarks, he articulated a fundamental criticism of the development of South Korean football that extends well beyond the current tournament.

Comparisons with the 2014 World Cup campaign were inevitable: back then, too, Hong Myung-bo was head coach and the team was eliminated in the group stage — though that time with only one point from three matches. From the federation's and the fans' perspective, the latest setback carries greater weight, because this time the side was regarded as a seeded co-favourite in the group and the sporting expectations were considerably higher.

Outlook on the succession

No decision has yet been made on Hong's successor. The Korea Football Association now has to handle both the sporting and the structural reset, while the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism is occupied with the root-cause analysis demanded by Lee Jae-myung. Observers expect that this analysis could have far-reaching consequences for the federation's leadership.

Hong himself has not yet made any detailed public comments since his resignation. In the coming days, an initial statement from the federation is expected, in which the next steps in the coaching search are also to be outlined.