From the president to football fans, South Koreans are asking whether unfairness lies behind the national team’s World Cup collapse
5-MIN READ5-MIN ListenDavid D. LeePublished: 10:00am, 5 Jul 2026When South Korea’s national football team returned home on Tuesday after their shock group-stage exit from the 2026 World Cup tournament, the fury of fans was not targeted at captain Son Heung-min or other players.It was aimed at head coach Hong Myung-bo, who announced his resignation during a press conference in Guadalajara, Mexico – the tournament’s co-host – on June 28.
South Korea lost 1-0 to Mexico and South Africa after opening their World Cup campaign with a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic. The results were not enough for them to qualify for the next round as one of the best third-placed teams.
Escorted through Incheon International Airport by security guards around 3am, Hong was greeted by thunderous boos, insults and protest banners declaring that “South Korean football is dead”. An online death threat made against him before the team arrived prompted a police investigation.
On June 29, the national team’s official supporters’ club, the Red Devils, demanded that he “kneel before the entire nation and leave the football world forever”.
The backlash exposes not just widespread public disappointment over another failed World Cup campaign, but also anger among South Koreans regarding whether the people chosen to lead national institutions have earned their place by merit, according to analysts.
