TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - South Korean national team coach Hong Myung-bo officially resigned on Sunday, June 28, 2026, a day after failing to lead the Taeguk Warriors to the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup.
"First of all, I would like to express my sincere apologies to the fans and supporters of South Korean football. Today I am resigning from the national football team," Hong Myung-bo said, as quoted by Yonhap News Agency and cited by Antara.
The 57-year-old coach is in his second term as South Korea coach. However, he again failed to lead the team to progress further in the World Cup, repeating the disappointment he experienced in the 2014 edition.
"For the past two years, I have always asked myself the same question every time I had to make important decisions, select players, or prepare training sessions and matches: is this the right choice for Korean football?" Hong said.
South Korea was actually favored to advance from Group A, which included hosts Mexico, South Africa, and the Czech Republic. However, Son Heung-min and his teammates suffered 1-0 defeats to South Africa and Mexico.
South Korea's only win came when they defeated the Czech Republic 2-1. This result left them with just three points, leaving them with hopes of qualifying for the round of 32 as one of the eight best third-placed teams.
Those hopes were dashed after results in other group matches went against South Korea. A day later, Hong Myung-bo decided to take full responsibility for the failure by resigning from his position as national team coach.
Read: 2026 World Cup: Mexico Edges South Korea as Switzerland Routs Bosnia
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