South Korea coach resigns hours after Korean president blasts World Cup exit
· Yahoo Sports
Hours after South Korea president Lee Jae Myung expressed frustration with the men's national team failing to qualify for the 2026 World Cupround of 32, coach Hong Myung-bo resigned from his position.
Lee posted on social media on Sunday, June 28, that he was "utterly baffled" by South Korea's result, blaming it on "organizational and personnel failures" and criticizing its "incompetent" leader.
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"I am not just taken aback by this unexpected outcome, I am utterly baffled," Lee wrote, "Once again, it has been proven that personnel decisions are everything. When 'us versus them' is prioritized over competence, and an incompetent person is selected as a leader, the outcome is as clear as day."
The failure to qualify for the round of 32 was a shock. In Group A, South Korea was a favorite to advance into the knockout round, alongside Mexico. After beating Czechia in its first game, it suffered a tough loss against Mexico in its second contest, but the real stunner came in the final group stage match, when South Africa held South Korea scoreless in a 1-0 victory that clinched a round of 32 spot for Bafana Bafana.
As a result of finishing third, South Korea had to hope it would finish among the top eight third-place teams that would advance to the round of 32. It had hope until the last day of group play on Saturday, June 27, when it was officially eliminated.
South Korean media has been highly critical of the national team's disappointing run, largely pointing the blame at Hong considering his position was already in question after he was re-hired to a position he already had an unsuccessful first run in.
Lee became another prominent voice expressing disatisfaction.
"The reason such botched appointments − which fail to distinguish between public and private interests and prioritize personal gain over the public good − are possible is that it is impossible or difficult to monitor, check and hold those with appointment authority accountable," Lee added.
As a result, Lee asked the country’s sports ministry to investigate why it failed to reach the knockout round and develop measures to prevent it from happening again "given that significant national taxpayer funds and state support resources are invested." He advocated for better hiring practices for its coach.
"The failure to qualify − which has left the public feeling disheartened − appears to be the result of organizational and personnel failures," Lee said. "I deeply apologize for the profound disappointment caused to the public by this preposterous situation."
South Korea made the round of 16 in the 2022 World Cup, the first time since 2010. Its national team has never made the knockout round in back-to-back tournaments.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: South Korea coach resigns hours after Korean president blasts World Cup exit