South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the national football team’s disappointing World Cup 2026 campaign after the country was eliminated in the group stage. The announcement came shortly after head coach Hong Myung-bo officially stepped down from his position.

South Korean football has entered a period of crisis following the national team’s early exit from the tournament. In response, President Lee instructed the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to conduct a thorough review of the team’s World Cup campaign and identify the reasons behind the disappointing result.

President Lee admitted that he was “completely bewildered” by South Korea’s performance. He also appeared to question the Korea Football Association’s decision to appoint Hong Myung-bo, suggesting that professional competence had not been prioritized enough during the selection process.

In a statement shared on social media, President Lee emphasized that significant taxpayer funding and public resources had been invested in the team’s World Cup participation. He apologized to supporters for what he described as the country’s “deep disappointment” and called on government authorities to analyze the causes of the failure while proposing reforms to the nation’s sports management system.

“We will move quickly to reform sports governance so that something like this never happens again,” President Lee wrote.

At nearly the same time, Hong Myung-bo confirmed that he would resign as head coach. The former South Korean football legend, who earned 136 international caps during his playing career, acknowledged that stepping down was not an easy decision but accepted full responsibility for the failed World Cup campaign.

“Once I accepted this position, I never considered anything other than taking responsibility until the very end,” Hong said.

South Korea failed to advance after missing out on a place among the eight best third-placed teams. Hong’s squad collected three points from three matches, defeating the Czech Republic but losing to co-host Mexico and South Africa.

The elimination was particularly painful because South Korea entered the tournament as one of the higher-ranked teams in their group. However, they were unable to control their own destiny after the group stage concluded and had to rely on results from other groups before their elimination became official.

Hong’s appointment had already been surrounded by controversy before the World Cup even began. After returning as national team manager in 2024, the Ministry of Sports reportedly asked the Korea Football Association to review the hiring process, arguing that the federation may have violated its own internal procedures and that the interview process could hardly be considered reasonable. The KFA denied any wrongdoing at the time.

President Lee also argued that the current system makes it difficult to properly supervise, investigate, and hold accountable those responsible for major appointments. He questioned whether the line between public interest and private interests had become blurred during the selection process for senior leadership positions.

Hong Myung-bo successfully guided South Korea to the 2026 World Cup without losing a match during qualification. However, the team’s disappointing performance on football’s biggest stage ultimately brought his tenure to an end and sparked a fresh wave of criticism directed at the Korea Football Association.

Sources: Znews