Less than a day after South Korea’s elimination from the World Cup was confirmed, head coach Hong Myung-Bo has announced his resignation.
His departure comes in the wake of strong criticism from the nation’s president, who described the coach as “incapable” and has initiated a complete review of the national team program.
On Sunday morning in Guadalajara, Mexico, where the team had been stationed, Hong addressed the media. South Korea finished their Group A campaign in third place, securing one win and two losses.
Following unfavorable results elsewhere, South Korea’s chances of advancing to the round of 32 as one of the best third-placed teams officially came to an end on Saturday.
Reading from a prepared statement and choosing not to take questions, Hong said, “First, I sincerely apologize to all those who support Korean football and the national team. Today, I have made the decision to step down as head coach of the Korea Republic national football team.”
“Accepting the head coach role was not an easy decision for me, but once I took on the responsibility, I committed to fulfilling it without excuses or second thoughts,” he continued.
“Over the past two years, I repeatedly asked myself, ‘Is this the right decision for Korean football?’ From selecting players to leading training sessions, I held on to that question throughout,” he added.
While he admitted that not every decision was perfect, he assured that each was made with the intent of benefiting Korean football.
Hong accepted full responsibility for South Korea’s inability to replicate their successful 2022 campaign, where they exited in the round of 16 after a 4-1 loss to Brazil.
This time, the Taegeuk Warriors started the tournament positively by defeating Czechia, but then suffered two consecutive losses to Mexico and South Africa.
“Being the head coach carries immense responsibility, and when results fall short, no explanation is necessary,” Hong remarked. “Today, I am not here to explain, but to accept that responsibility. We did not achieve the results the Korean people expected from us in this World Cup, and I alone must bear that responsibility as head coach.”
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This resignation marks another disappointing term for Hong, who also stepped down after the 2014 World Cup when the team performed poorly, marking their worst showing since 1998.
The swift exit has left the national team in disarray and drawn significant criticism from President Lee Jae Myung, who expressed his disappointment with Hong’s performance.
“As a former honorary chairman of a professional football club and a staunch supporter, I am not just surprised but deeply bewildered by this unexpected result,” remarked the president.
He criticized the team’s structural shortcomings and the initial appointment of Hong as coach.
“Once again, we see that personnel decisions are critical. When loyalty or factionalism trumps competence and an incapable individual is appointed, the outcome is unsurprisingly poor,” the president added.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.