South Korea men’s national football team head coach Hong Myung-bo announced his resignation Monday following the team's elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The resignation marks a significant failure for a powerhouse Asian team and follows an unprecedented public rebuke of the coaching staff by the South Korean head of state.
Hong held a press conference early Monday morning at the team’s training camp in Mexico [1]. The decision came after South Korea suffered a group-stage loss on June 28, 2026 [2], resulting in a first-round exit from the tournament [2].
"I could not deliver the result the nation expected. The responsibility lies entirely with me as the coach," Hong said [1].
The resignation followed a public social media post from President Lee Jae-myung. The president described the coaching choice as a failure, stating that the result was obvious when an "incompetent" person is chosen as the commander [1]. Lee demanded a full analysis of the failure, and corrective measures for the national program [1].
While some reports identified the head of state as President Yoon Suk-yeol and Lee Jae-myung as an opposition leader, primary reports from the event identify Lee Jae-myung as the president who issued the criticism [1], [2].
Hong took full responsibility for the team's performance in Mexico, acknowledging that the squad failed to meet the expectations of the public [1].
“The responsibility lies entirely with me as the coach”
The intersection of high-level politics and national sports in South Korea often creates immense pressure on coaching staff. This resignation is not merely a sporting failure but a political necessity following a direct public condemnation by the presidency, likely triggering a complete overhaul of the national team's technical leadership.
