South Korea coach quits after early World Cup exit prompts fierce criticism

Key Points:

• South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo resigned following the team's early elimination from the World Cup, which sparked strong criticism from President Lee Jae Myung, who called the coach "incapable" and demanded a full review of the national team program.
• South Korea won their opening match against the Czech Republic but lost subsequent group matches to South Africa and Mexico, failing to advance after Congo's win over Uzbekistan ended their hopes as a third-place qualifier.
• President Lee criticized the national team’s structure and the coach’s appointment, emphasizing that personnel decisions based on loyalty over competence led to predictable failure, and called for reforms in sports administration.
• Hong apologized to Korean fans, accepted full responsibility for the results, and announced his resignation, pledging continued support for Korean football despite stepping down.
• South Korea, a consistent World Cup participant with 11 consecutive appearances and a 2002 semifinal finish as co-host, now faces a government-led review to prevent similar failures in the future.