# South Korea Crashes Out at Group Stage as Coach Hong Myung-bo Resigns with a Heartfelt Apology > South Korea's FIFA World Cup campaign ended at the group stage following back-to-back defeats, prompting head coach Hong Myung-bo to resign and President Lee Jae-myung to publicly attack the country's football administration. **Type:** article · **Category:** Football · **Published:** 2026-06-29 · **Source:** TrendKia **Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/football/grupa-steja-men-hi-dharashayi-hua-south-korea-kocha-hong-myung-bo-ne-maphi-mangate-hue-diya-istipha-3574 · **Language:** English **Tags:** Hong Myung-bo, South Korea Football, FIFA World Cup, Coach Resignation, Son Heung-min, Lee Jae-myung, Group Stage Exit, Korean Football South Korea's FIFA World Cup campaign came to a painful and premature end at the group stage, and head coach Hong Myung-bo stepped down on Sunday night, taking full personal responsibility for the failure. The resignation was announced at the team's training base in Guadalajara, by which point it was already evident that South Korea had no path to the knockout rounds and had fallen short of finishing among the best third-placed sides in the tournament. ## An Apology Without Excuses Hong addressed the nation's football supporters directly, without deflection. "I sincerely apologise from the bottom of my heart to all the citizens who have loved Korean football and have always supported the national team," he said. He then spelled out his decision: "Today I would like to resign as the head coach of the South Korean national football team. Accepting this responsibility was never an easy decision for me. Once I took on this responsibility, I stopped thinking about anything else. I believed my only job was to carry out the duty entrusted to me through to the very end. I was unable to deliver the results the public expected of me. I take full responsibility for that." This was Hong's second spell as head coach of the national side. He had been appointed in July 2024 to succeed Juergen Klinsmann on a long-term basis. ## A Squad Built for More Than This Under Hong's watch, South Korea had qualified for the FIFA World Cup for an eleventh consecutive time, a streak that spoke to the consistent strength of Korean football. The squad appeared genuinely capable of going deep in the tournament. Captain Son Heung-min led the group, with Lee Kang-in and Kim Min-jae among the key players raising expectations of a strong run. The opening match offered early encouragement. South Korea beat Czech Republic 2-1 to begin the group stage well. But that momentum collapsed quickly. Successive defeats against Mexico and South Africa left the team in an increasingly desperate situation. The mathematical confirmation of elimination arrived through an outside result: Congo's 3-1 win over Uzbekistan ended South Korea's tournament, making official what had been looking inevitable. ## President Lee Goes on the Offensive The early exit provoked a fierce political reaction at home. President Lee Jae-myung went on social media to deliver a pointed critique of the national team's leadership and the broader football administration. "As a former honorary professional football club chairman and a member of the Red Devils at heart, I am not just surprised. I am deeply confused by this unexpected result," he wrote. He pressed further with a direct attack on how the administration makes decisions: "It has once again been proven that appointing the right people decides everything. If loyalty and factionalism are valued over ability, and an unqualified person is made the leader, the outcome is as predictable as fire spreading." With Hong now gone, the Korean Football Association faces a searching set of questions about who takes charge next and how the administration rebuilds credibility after an exit that left both the president and the public deeply disappointed. ## What this means for you - **For football fans:** One of Asia's strongest sides crashing out at the group stage puts a harsh spotlight on the limitations of Asian football at the highest level. - **For South Korean fans:** Despite a squad featuring top-tier talent like Son Heung-min, this exit is likely to accelerate demands for structural reform in South Korean football governance. ## Questions & Answers ### 1. Why did Hong Myung-bo resign? South Korea was eliminated at the FIFA World Cup group stage and Hong took full personal responsibility for the failure, choosing to resign immediately. ### 2. How was South Korea eliminated from the World Cup? After beating Czech Republic 2-1, the team lost consecutively to Mexico and South Africa. Congo's 3-1 win over Uzbekistan then confirmed South Korea's exit mathematically. ### 3. When was Hong Myung-bo appointed as South Korea's coach? He was appointed in July 2024 as the long-term successor to Juergen Klinsmann. ### 4. What did President Lee Jae-myung say about the elimination? He criticised the football administration on social media, arguing that prioritising loyalty and factionalism over merit leads to predictably bad results. ### 5. Who were the key players in South Korea's squad? The team was captained by Son Heung-min, with Lee Kang-in and Kim Min-jae among the other important players in the squad. ### 6. How many consecutive World Cups had South Korea qualified for? Under Hong, South Korea qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the eleventh consecutive time. ### 7. Was this Hong Myung-bo's first time in charge of the national team? No, this was his second stint as head coach of the South Korean national football team. --- _TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.. 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