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South Korean Football Coaches Face Harsh Repercussions After World Cup Failures

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • The South Korean national football team faces criticism following their elimination from the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, with coach Hong Myung-bo stepping down.
  • Historically, South Korean national team coaches have often faced harsh consequences after tournament failures, with many being dismissed or facing public backlash.
  • Out of 12 World Cup appearances, South Korea has only advanced past the group stage three times, leading to a pattern of severe repercussions for coaches whose teams fail to meet expectations.

The South Korean national football team's failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup has ignited public anger, particularly directed at coach Hong Myung-bo, who has announced his resignation. This latest disappointment adds to a grim history of national team managers facing severe consequences after tournament underperformance.

South Korea has participated in the World Cup finals 12 times since their debut in 1954. However, they have only managed to advance beyond the group stage on three occasions. The most notable success was reaching the semi-finals under Guus Hiddink in 2002, followed by reaching the Round of 16 with Huh Jung-moo in 2010 and Paulo Bento in 2022. In the remaining nine tournaments, the team was eliminated in the group stage, often resulting in harsh outcomes for the head coach.

Former coaches have experienced swift dismissals or intense public scrutiny. Cha Bum-kun was sacked immediately after the 1998 World Cup following heavy defeats. Hong Myung-bo himself faced backlash after the 2014 World Cup, with fans throwing candy at him upon his return. Shin Tae-yong endured similar public anger after the 2018 World Cup, narrowly avoiding projectiles thrown by fans. Even Paulo Bento, who guided the team to the Round of 16 in 2022, departed after the tournament.

Under Hong Myung-bo's leadership, the team's performance in the 2026 qualifiers mirrored the struggles of his previous World Cup campaign in 2014. Despite hopes of reaching the knockout stage for the first time in an away World Cup, the team lost to opponents considered weaker, finishing with one win and two losses. This elimination has led to Hong's departure, leaving behind a legacy of disappointment for fans who had hoped for a breakthrough.

I will resign.

— Hong Myung-boCoach Hong Myung-bo announcing his resignation following the team's elimination from the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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