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Hong Myung-bo, head coach of the South Korean national football team, which failed to advance to the Round of 32 at the 2026 North America World Cup, bows after concluding a press conference to announce his resignation at Chivas Verde Valle in Zapopan, Mexico on the 28th (local time). / Courtesy of Yonhap News

Hong Myung-bo, the head coach of the South Korean national football team, has stepped down from his post, taking responsibility for the team's failure to advance to the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup.

Coach Hong officially announced his intention to resign at the Chivas Verde Valle training ground in Zapopan, Mexico on the 28th (local time), the day after the team's group stage elimination was confirmed. Having been appointed as the national team manager on July 8, 2024, with a contract running through the 2027 Asian Cup, he was unable to complete his tenure due to the responsibility he faced for the lackluster World Cup performance.

In a statement, Coach Hong expressed, "I am truly sorry to the people who loved South Korean football and always cheered for the national team," adding, "Today, I intend to step down from the position of national team head coach."

He continued, "The position of a manager is a place where no explanations can suffice in front of results," noting, "I ultimately failed to deliver the results the public expected. The responsibility for that lies entirely with me as the manager."

He also reflected, "Taking the position of national team manager was by no means an easy decision for me," yet added, "From the moment I decided to take the helm, I did not think of other reasons. Fulfilling the assigned responsibility until the very end, I believed that was the only thing I had to do."

Looking back on the past two years, Coach Hong remarked, "Over the last two years, I always asked myself the same question," explaining, "'Is this choice a choice for South Korean football?' I never let go of this question, whether making important decisions for the team, selecting players, preparing for training, or playing matches." He emphasized, "I cannot say that every judgment was always right," but added, "However, the standard for every judgment was always Korean football."

South Korea competed in Group A alongside host nation Mexico, the Czech Republic, and South Africa, defeating the Czech Republic 2-1 but suffering 0-1 losses to both Mexico and South Africa, finishing third in the group with 1 win and 2 losses. Subsequently, the team placed 10th among the 12 third-place nations, failing to secure a ticket to the Round of 32, which was awarded to the top eight teams. In this tournament, where the pool of participants expanded to 48 countries, South Korea's final ranking was 34th.

Coach Hong, who recorded 1 draw and 2 losses at the 2014 Brazil World Cup, failed to deliver the expected results in his second World Cup challenge as well. Leading the national team as manager at two separate World Cups is a milestone where Coach Hong remains unique in the history of South Korean football.

Coach Hong was embroiled in a fairness controversy from the very process of being appointed as the national team manager. At the time, allegations were raised that the National Team Committee of the Korea Football Association had designated Coach Hong without fully reviewing other candidates, which even led to his attendance at a parliamentary inquiry. Afterward, he passed the final World Cup qualifiers undefeated with 6 wins and 4 draws, but public criticism persisted due to volatile performances, including heavy defeats in friendly matches against Brazil (0-5) and Ivory Coast (0-4).

This marks the first time in 8 years, since the 2018 Russia tournament, that South Korean football failed to pass the World Cup group stage. The national team, which had challenged for its third total and second consecutive away Round of 16 berth following the 2010 South Africa and 2022 Qatar tournaments, left behind the disappointment of an early elimination.

Lastly, Coach Hong stated, "Although I lay down the position of national team manager today, I am not laying down my heart toward South Korean football," concluding, "I will sincerely cheer for our national team to grow back into a team that can regain the trust and love of the public."

                                                                                                        Cheon Hyun-bin