South Korea World Cup leaving didn’t just end with the locker room and fans screaming at their televisions. It has gone through the president’s desk.
After South Korea was eliminated from Group A on Saturday, June 27, head coach Hong Myung-bo resigned the next day, ending his second stint in charge of the national team.
“I deeply apologize to the Korean public who supported our team. Today, I am leaving,” Hong said at a press conference. “Taking this job was not an easy choice, but since I accepted it, my goal was to fulfill my duties responsibly until the end.”
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But the fall from the loss did not stop with him.
On Sunday, June 28, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called for an official government investigation into the team’s disappointing tournament, as fan anger spilled from social media to global security concerns before the team returned home.
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On paper, the tournament in South Korea wasn’t bad. The team started with a 2-1 win against the Czechia before losing 0-1 to Mexico, which meant the final group match against South Africa was crucial: A win would have put South Korea in the best position to advance, and even a draw could help its case under the expanded World Cup format, which allows the eight third-placed teams to advance to the Round of 32. Instead, South Korea lost by three points in Group A and await another 0-1 result. that would be enough. Spoiler: it wasn’t.
However, it was Hong’s squad selection against South Africa, which angered the fans the most. In the match South Korea needed to save their tournament, Hong left Son Heung-min out of the starting line-up, saying later that he planned to use him later when South Africa were tired. Son came on at halftime, but by then South Korea was already chasing the game.
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Hong later admitted that he would not make such a decision again, but by then the damage had already been done. And a wave of hatred from home that has gone far beyond the usual post-tournament disappointment.
Reports from South Korea have described online death threats against Hong, increased police security ahead of the team’s return to Incheon International Airport, and fan outrage on social media.
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Fans are especially confused because South Korea had enough talent to expect more. The team included Son Heung-min, one of the biggest football stars in Asia, as well as European players such as Lee Kang-in and Kim Min-jae. Son Heung-min, the team’s captain, posted a lengthy apology on Instagram, asking supporters not to direct too much criticism and hurt the players.
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Hong’s return as head coach in 2024 was already controversial, with fans questioning whether the Korea Football Association had a fair recruitment process. Ministry of sports it was claimed before that KFA did not follow its procedures, including a reported “reasonable interview process.”
President Lee made it clear that he sees the fall as more than a bad teaching habit. In a statement posted on social media, Lee said he felt “not just confused but completely confused” about the results and said South Korea’s early departure showed serious problems with management and staff decisions.
“When favoritism and friendship take precedence over ability in selecting a commander, the results are as predictable as burning paper,” Lee wrote.
Lee also pointed to taxpayers’ money and government resources being used to support the national team, and said that the World Cup failure is not just a personal football issue. Because public money is going into the team’s participation, he said, the public is owed a clearer explanation of what went wrong. He called on the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to investigate the situation around the departure, analyze the reasons, and propose amendments to prevent repetition.
If that sounds like an odd response to a World Cup exit, it isn’t.
The closest comparison might be France in 2010, when Les Bleus qualified for the World Cup in South Africa after Nicolas Anelka was sent home and the players went on strike to train in protest. Disaster moved quickly beyond the dressing room: then-president Nicolas Sarkozy publicly condemned the team’s behavior, captain Thierry Henry was brought to the Élysée Palace, and the French parliament held hearings on the failure of the national team.
For Hong, this end is very difficult. As a player, he remains one of the most important figures in South Korean football history, captaining the country during its historic run to the World Cup semi-finals in 2002. As a coach, however, both of his World Cup stints with the national team have ended in disappointment at the group stage: first in 2014, and now again in 2026.
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There were security concerns around Hong’s homecoming. It appears to be as chaotic as they expected, according to video footage from the airport at 4am, where fans were waiting in the Arrivals hall armed with insults.
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This, surprisingly, is not the first time that South Korean fans have thrown eggs at their home team.
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For South Korea, the World Cup may be over, but it’s clear the high-profile investigation is just beginning.
