Why is South Korea so furious at its World Cup coach, Hong Myung-bo?

SEOUL – South Korea’s exit from the World Cup in the group stage has been followed by the country’s President Lee Jae Myung demanding an investigation, national team coach Hong Myung-bo resigning and fans calling for reform of the Korea Football Association (KFA).

Here is why the team’s elimination has rippled into a controversy far beyond the pitch.

What happened at the World Cup?

South Korea opened Group A with a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic, but lost 1-0 in their next two matches against Mexico and South Africa, finishing third and failing to qualify for the last 32 as one of the best eight third-placed teams.

The expanded 48-team tournament had raised expectations that they would reach the knockout stages, with South Korean media labelling the squad a “golden generation” headlined by former Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Lee Kang-in and Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae.

The loss to South Africa became the flashpoint and Hong was criticised for leaving Son out of the starting line-up, bringing him on at half-time with the score at 0-0.

The 57-year-old coach later said he had planned to use his captain when South Africa were tired, but admitted he would have done things differently had he known how the match would turn out.

Why is the reaction so fierce?

The anger is not just about three World Cup matches. It was borne of frustration over the KFA’s handling of the national team, including the appointment of former coach Jurgen Klinsmann in February 2023 and his subsequent dismissal a year later.

Hong’s appointment in July 2024 was also controversial.

He is one of South Korea’s most renowned football figures, having captained the national team to the 2002 World Cup semi-finals and later coached its Olympic team to a bronze at the 2012 London Games.

Hong began his first stint as head coach of the Taegeuk Warriors in 2013, but resigned a year later after his young and promising squad were eliminated in the group stage of the World Cup in Brazil.

He then had an unsuccessful stint with Hangzhou Greentown – now known as Zhejiang Professional – in the Chinese Super League, but restored his reputation in the domestic K League 1, leading Ulsan Hyundai to back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023.

Amid reports that the KFA wanted him to return, Hong said he did not want to leave Ulsan during the season.

His return as national team coach in 2024 raised questions from fans, former players and lawmakers, who said the association appeared to abandon a months-long search involving foreign candidates, before deciding on the South Korean after a brief meeting.

Former national midfielder Park Joo-ho, who served on the KFA’s search committee, was among the most prominent critics and uploaded a video on YouTube detailing the story behind that selection process.

South Korea’s sports ministry said in October 2024 that the football body breached its own rules in the appointments of both Hong and Klinsmann, saying that its technical director’s meeting with Hong was not a proper interview.

The ministry stopped short of ordering the KFA to cancel the coach’s contract, as it had not found evidence of illegal measures taken to select him.

What did the KFA say in Parliament?

The controversy prompted a parliamentary committee hearing in September 2024, where KFA president Chung Mong-gyu and Hong were questioned.

The KFA said there had been no major procedural violations. Chung told lawmakers the association could not say it had done everything perfectly, but had worked hard and followed regulations.

Hong said he had accepted the role as his “final service” to South Korean football, and his mission was to strengthen the team and deliver results at the World Cup.

Faced with backlash, Chung announced in May that he intended to step down after the tournament.

What happens next?

Before the World Cup, South Korean police had already been investigating complaints alleging improper interference in Hong’s appointment, though no criminal findings have been announced against Hong or KFA officials yet.

More complaints have since been lodged.

In April, a court ruled against the KFA in a lawsuit challenging the sports ministry’s demand for disciplinary action against Chung. The court found flaws in the appointment process for Hong and insufficient board deliberation. The association has appealed.

Following South Korea’s exit at the World Cup, President Lee said on June 28 that he was “utterly baffled” by the elimination, blaming it on personnel decisions.

He said factionalism or loyalty had been prioritised over competence, and asked the sports ministry to investigate and propose measures to prevent a recurrence.

The ruling Democratic Party is planning a parliamentary hearing next week into the World Cup failure and KFA management, local media has reported. It is also expected to grill the KFA.

The immediate questions are who leads the national team next, whether the government review forces broader reform, and whether the association can rebuild public trust before South Korea’s next major tournament.

What has happened to Hong since the World Cup exit?

Hong resigned shortly after South Korea were eliminated from football’s global showpiece.

Fans booed him at the airport when the team arrived in Seoul on June 29, while applauding the players. Some held banners saying “South Korean football is dead”.

Many fans say their anger is less about the poor results on the pitch than about what they see as a pattern of opaque appointments, weak accountability and football officials protecting their own.

Former players and commentators have said the World Cup failure should force South Korean football to examine how it reached this point.

Hong left for the US on July 2 and said he did not know when he would return. REUTERS