Hong Myung-bo resigns as South Korea coach after World Cup group-stage exit draws presidential rebuke

Hong Myung-bo resigned as South Korea head coach on Sunday after the team’s group-stage elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, with President Lee Jae Myung branding the 57-year-old ‘incapable’ and demanding a sweeping review of the national football programme.

South Korea won their opening Group A match against the Czech Republic but lost their next two fixtures to South Africa and Mexico. Their hopes of advancing as one of the third-place qualifiers in the expanded 48-team tournament were extinguished on Saturday when Congo defeated Uzbekistan 3-1, ending any mathematical possibility of progression.

The fallout was swift and came from the highest level. President Lee, describing himself as “a former honorary professional football club chairman and, at heart, a member of the Red Devils,” said he felt “not just surprise but deep bewilderment” at the result. He went further, framing the appointment of Hong itself as a failure of governance. “If loyalty and factionalism are valued over competence and an incapable person is appointed as a leader, the outcome is as predictable as fire,” the president said.

Hong announced his resignation before the squad departed their base camp in Mexico, where South Korea had played all three group matches. “To all of the Korean people who love and support our national team, I would like to genuinely apologize,” he said. “As the head coach, no explanation can supersede the ultimate result. I could not bring the result that our people had expected. All responsibilities are with me.”

This was Hong’s second spell in charge of the national side. He also managed South Korea at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where the team similarly failed to advance past the group stage. Sunday’s exit means South Korea have not made it out of the group stage in three of their last four World Cup appearances — a troubling record for a nation that reached the semi-finals as co-host in 2002 and has qualified for 11 consecutive tournaments.

President Lee called on the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to conduct a full review of the national team structure. “We will move swiftly to reform sports administration to ensure this does not happen again,” he said, adding a personal apology to the public for “the deep disappointment caused by this absurd situation.”

South Korea now face a significant rebuilding process, with no coach in place and a presidential mandate for structural reform hanging over the football federation.