South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo (Yonhap) South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo is facing mounting criticism after the national team’s disappointing World Cup campaign, with questions over his tactics and squad selection shedding light on the controversial process that brought him back to the job.The Taegeuk Warriors finished third in Group A on Wednesday with one win and two losses, scoring two goals and conceding three. The result has left them dependent on other groups’ results to determine whether they will advance to the Round of 32 as one of the tournament’s eight best third-place teams. The team provisionally sits at 6th out of 12 third-place teams, with several teams yet to complete their group stage campaign.Criticism of Hong intensified after the team’s final group-stage match against South Africa, raising questions about his game management, reliance on key players and late substitutions in decisive moments.Those include benching captain Son Heung-min at the start of the match against South Africa, replacing center-back Kim Min-jae with another defender while Korea was still chasing a goal, and leaving Jens Castrop, a Korean German midfielder who plays for the Bundesliga’s Borussia Monchengladbach, out of the starting lineup.A day after the team’s defeat, Hong said he still could not identify exactly what had gone wrong, but took responsibility for the players’ failure to carry out his game plan.Hong pointed to environmental problems, saying that the team may have struggled to adapt after moving from the relatively mild conditions at Guadalajara Stadium, where they played their first two matches, to the much hotter and more humid climate at Monterrey.“Our data showed the players covered less ground (against South Africa) than they did against Mexico, but recorded more high-intensity sprints. There was no noticeable drop in their conditioning or fitness compared with the match against Mexico, so it was difficult to explain why they appeared slow,” he told reporters during a press conference.Meanwhile, the World Cup disappointment has brought renewed attention to the controversy surrounding Hong’s appointment.Hong was appointed head coach of the men's national team in July 2024, replacing Jurgen Klinsmann. He is under contract through Feb. 28, 2027, covering the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, and reportedly earns an annual salary of 2 billion won ($1.3 million).His appointment drew scrutiny over concerns about the transparency and fairness of the Korea Football Association's selection process.Hong previously managed the national team from 2013 to 2014 before stepping down after South Korea exited the 2014 World Cup in Brazil at the group stage with one draw and two defeats.Former national team player Park Joo-ho, who served on the KFA’s National Teams Committee responsible for the hiring process, claimed right after Hong's reappointment that the football federation "disregarded proper vetting procedures" and "accused fellow committee members of lacking professionalism and knowledge."The criticism was later echoed by other former players, including former national team captain Park Ji-sung, 2002 World Cup hero Lee Young-pyo, and striker Lee Dong-gook.Hong later said he "respected" their views and that it was healthy for Korean football to allow different opinions to be heard.