South Korea entered the tournament ranked 32nd in FIFA's men's world rankings, led by their talismanic captain Son Heung-min and with high hopes of a deep run. Instead, they closed out with a pair of losses and one win to finish third in Group A behind 15th-ranked Mexico and 60th-ranked South Africa. Their fate was confirmed in their final match, a 1-0 loss to South Africa on Thursday. South Korea had briefly held on to that hope after the tournament was expanded from 32 to 48 teams, was announced, and a new rule was introduced that allowed the best eight third-placed teams to still qualify for the knockout round – until Saturday, when those hopes were finally snuffed out.
Resignation in disguise, Hong announced his resignation at a press conference in western Mexico, where the team had been based. He was candid about the gap between expectations and results. He accepted that not all his decisions had been correct but insisted every call had been made with the best interests of Korean football at heart. He also struck a conciliatory tone for the future, saying he was not leaving Korean football entirely and would continue to support the national team from afar.
His departure was not entirely unforeseen, considering the conditions of his appointment. Hong is a legend of South Korean football, having guided the team to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup as captain. Yet his record as a coach said otherwise. He managed the team at the 2014 tournament, when South Korea failed to win a single match and were eliminated at the group stage. His reappointment to the same role in 2024 was met with strong reaction from fans and commentators who felt that the Korean Football Association had given the job to an insider rather than the best candidate, overlooking several overseas coaches who had gone through a rigorous vetting process in his favour.
Criticism of the President and Security Worries
President Lee Jae-myung responded strongly to the team's elimination. He said on social media he was not just confused but totally bewildered by the outcome, which he suggested pointed to problems of organisation and personnel. His assessment was pointed. When the selection of leadership put favouritism and cronyism ahead of competence, the result was entirely predictable, he said. Comments showed a mood of deep frustration among South Korean soccer fans that rippled beyond the sport itself.
That frustration has also become more intense and alarming. Police in South Korea said they were investigating security threats at Incheon Airport and other sites after a threat to kill Hong was posted online ahead of his return to the country over the weekend. The threat underlined how raw the emotions are back home about the team's exit and cast a shadow over an already hugely disappointing end to South Korea's World Cup campaign.
