South Korea Coach Hong Myung-bo Resigns After World Cup Exit

Hong Myung-bo has officially stepped down as the coach of the South Korean national football team, a day after their disappointing exit from the 2026 World Cup. The decision came on Sunday, June 28, 2026, following the Taeguk Warriors' inability to secure a spot in the tournament's round of 32.

"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 stated, as reported by Yonhap News Agency. The 57-year-old coach, in his second tenure, repeated the World Cup disappointment he experienced in the 2014 edition.

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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.

South Korea, initially favored to progress from Group A alongside hosts Mexico, South Africa, and the Czech Republic, suffered consecutive 1-0 defeats to South Africa and Mexico. Their sole victory came against the Czech Republic with a 2-1 scoreline. This result left them with three points, pinning their hopes on qualifying as one of the best third-placed teams, a chance that was ultimately dashed by results in other group matches.

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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?