South Korea men's national soccer team coach Hong Myung-bo resigned on Sunday, June 28, 2026, just hours after President Lee Jae Myung publicly criticized the team's leadership.
President Lee blamed "organizational and personnel failures" for the country's early exit from the 2026 World Cup.
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The national team failed to qualify for the round of 32 after a 1-0 loss to South Africa in their final Group A match, finishing third in the group.
The elimination was confirmed on Saturday, June 27, 2027, when results from the final day of group play prevented South Korea from advancing as one of the top eight third-place teams.
President's Social Media Outburst
President Lee Jae Myung expressed his frustration on social media on Sunday, criticizing the leadership decisions within the national team infrastructure.
"I am not just taken aback by this unexpected outcome, I am utterly baffled," Lee wrote. "Once again, it has been proven that personnel decisions are everything."
He added that when "us versus them" is prioritized over competence, and an incompetent person is selected as a leader, the outcome is clear.
The president also questioned the lack of accountability regarding the national team's hiring processes.
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"The reason such botched appointments are possible is that it is impossible or difficult to monitor, check and hold those with appointment authority accountable," Lee said.
Following these remarks, Lee instructed the sports ministry to investigate the tournament exit and establish better protocols for selecting future coaching staff.
"The failure to qualify appears to be the result of organizational and personnel failures," Lee said.
"I deeply apologize for the profound disappointment caused to the public by this preposterous situation."
According to USA Today, South Korean media had heavily criticized Hong Myung-bo's leadership prior to his resignation.
Hong faced scrutiny after being re-hired for the position following a previously unsuccessful stint as national team coach.
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The team's failure to advance marks a departure from their round of 16 appearance in the 2022 World Cup.
