Hong Myung-bo's tenure as head coach of the South Korea national team officially came to an end after the World Cup group stage. With all group results finalized on Saturday, South Korea confirmed it could not advance to the Round of 32 as one of the eight best third-placed teams. Hong Myung-bo then announced his resignation at the team's training camp in Guadalajara.
Resignation at the training camp
"I would like to sincerely apologize to the people who have always loved and supported Korean football," Hong said in his statement. "Today, I have decided to resign as head coach of the South Korean national team. Accepting this position was never an easy decision for me; however, once I made that choice, there was no other course — my task was to fulfill the responsibilities assigned to me until the end."
From Klinsmann's long-term successor to World Cup elimination
Hong was appointed in July 2024 in an emergency capacity, positioned by the Korea Football Association as the long-term successor to Jürgen Klinsmann, and led the team to an 11th consecutive World Cup finals appearance. At the time, the squad featuring Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in, and Kim Min-jae raised high expectations, with many believing the team was fully capable of advancing from a group that included co-host Mexico, the Czech Republic, and South Africa.
Group stage trajectory and accountability
South Korea opened their campaign with a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic but then suffered consecutive defeats to Mexico and South Africa. Their fate of advancing once hinged on other group results, and they ultimately fell short. In his resignation statement, Hong Myung-bo said plainly: "I failed to deliver the results the public expected, and the responsibility lies entirely with me." When he took charge, Korean football was still reeling from Jürgen Klinsmann's dismissal, and the Korea Football Association saw him as a homegrown option capable of stabilizing the dressing room and bridging the gap among star players. His tenure was thus placed from the outset under the standard of "whether he could take the team further."
Head coach vacancy and selection suspense
South Korea currently ranks 25th in the FIFA rankings, down three places from the previous edition; group opponents Mexico are 15th, while South Africa sit 60th. Hong Myung-bo's departure means the national team head coach position is now officially vacant. Whether the KFA will continue with a domestic coaching route or once again turn to a foreign star manager will become a substantive issue commanding attention in the professional football world over the coming months.
