Hong resigns as South Korea coach after early World Cup exit

Hong Myung-bo resigned as head coach of South Korea on Sunday following the country's group-stage exit from the World Cup.

Hong made the announcement at the team's training camp in Guadalajara after results on Saturday meant the Koreans would not advance to the last 32 as one of the eight third-placed finishers in the group phase.

"I would like to sincerely apologise to the citizens who have loved Korean football and always supported the national team," Hong said.

"Today, I wish to step down as head coach of the South Korean national football team. Accepting this role was never an easy decision for me.

"However, once I made that decision, I did not consider any other reasons. I believed my only task was to fulfil the responsibility entrusted to me to the end."

Hong was appointed in July 2024 as the long-term replacement for Juergen Klinsmann and steered the country to an 11th successive World Cup appearance.

Expectations were high that a Korean squad featuring Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in and Kim Min-jae would advance to the knockout rounds from a group featuring co-hosts Mexico, Czech Republic and South Africa.

The Koreans started with a 2-1 win over the Czechs but losses to Mexico and South Africa left them needing results in other groups to go their way to progress to the next phase of the competition.

"I failed to deliver the results the public expected," said Hong. "The responsibility lies entirely with me."

South Koreans turn on Hong

It was an ignominious end to a fractured campaign that has seen the country fall out of love with the one-time national team captain and icon, who more than two decades ago led South Korea to their finest achievement.

Hong was captain of the side that defied the odds to reach the World Cup semi-finals on home soil in 2002, swept up by a wave of patriotism that saw the Taeguk Warriors defeat Portugal, Poland, Italy and Spain on their way to the last four.

In his first stint as coach, Hong was pelted with candy -- seen as a deeply offensive insult -- upon his return to South Korea from the 2014 World Cup when his young and promising squad were eliminated in the group phase.

President Lee Jae-myung has already launched a broadside against Hong and the Korea Football Association while fans have again voiced their anger at those running the game in the country.

As a result, Hong and the first batch of players are expected to arrive home on Tuesday with no welcome ceremony arranged at Incheon airport, the first time in recent memory no such event will have been held for the national team.