Hong Myung-bo, the coach of the Korean men’s national soccer team, attends a press conference on June 26, 2026 (Korea time). (Yonhap)
Korea failed to reach the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup, which sports a 48-country field and a 32-squad knockout round for the first time in the event's history.From the controversial appointment of the head coach to the lack of tactics and organization during the tournament, this proved to be one of Korea's worst World Cup performances, as the team was lacking in both process and results. The Democratic Republic of the Congo's 3-1 win over Uzbekistan on Saturday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta knocked the Taegeuk Warriors out of the tournament.In retrospect, things for Korea went awry from the very beginning, fueled by the controversy over the Korea Football Association's maligned appointment of Hong Myung-bo to lead the team as coach. His core tactic — the three-back system — was another point of contention that sparked endless criticism of reliance on individual brilliance instead of teamwork. Despite having a star-studded ‘golden generation’ including Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in and Kim Min-jae, the Korean public blasted the team for inadequately utilizing such talent.Anxiety marked the start of the tournament, but Korea created a glimmer of hope in its first game against the Czech Republic. Despite giving up the opening goal, the Taegeuk Warriors did not give up. Striker Hwang In-beom tied the score and assisted on the winning goal for substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu in the 2-1 victory.As Korea's first win in a World Cup opening match in 16 years, the contest rekindled enthusiasm among fans who had given up on the team.Korea also performed well in its second game versus Mexico, a co-host of the tournament and considered the best team in Group A. Hong's squad played valiantly despite the high altitude of Guadalajara, 1,500 meters above sea level, and the legions of Mexican fans at the stadium. A goalkeeper error cost Korea the game, 1-0, but the Red Devils maintained their support, with many saying the team did well despite the loss.Advancing to the knockout stage seemed certain for Korea ahead of its final group game against South Africa. Needing just a draw to secure a berth, Hong took a huge gamble by benching captain Son in the first half, hoping to exploit South Africa's waning stamina in the second.But this proved to be a huge miscalculation from the start. Riddled with passing errors, Korea struggled to find its rhythm and gave up control to South Africa — considered the Group A doormat — and conceded the winning goal in the 63rd minute. Hong subbed in Son at the start of the second half, but the LAFC star was anything but a game changer.Many questioned the sharp drop in the team's energy in the third game from the first two, asking what was wrong. A day after the loss, however, Hong further angered the Korean public with a seemingly evasive response, saying that ‘everything is [his] responsibility as coach,’ before saying that he ‘cannot easily explain why we played like that.’Korea thus finished third in the group with a win and two losses for three points, suffering the disgrace of elimination in the World Cup's inaugural knockout round with 32 teams. For Hong, he added to his heavily maligned run as head coach dating back to the 2014 Brazil World Cup, where he went a dismal 0-2-1.Twelve years after his first stint, Hong again produced a poor result despite heavy criticism. ‘I feel like a fool for going to see the game against South Africa,’ the owner of a Korean restaurant in Monterrey, Mexico, told this reporter. ‘I really feel like I went for nothing. How could they play like that? Please demand an explanation from Coach Hong Myung-bo if you meet him.’ Thus, Hong's run as coach left deep and unforgettable wounds not only on Korean fans but also Mexican fans of Korea and the Korean community in Mexico.By Son Hyun-soo, staff reporterPlease direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]
