South Korea’s national football team coach Hong Myung-bo resigned on Sunday following the team’s early elimination from the 2026 World Cup, a disappointing outcome that drew sharp criticism from President Lee Jae Myung and triggered calls for a comprehensive review of the national team’s structure.

South Korea, which won its opening Group A match against the Czech Republic, subsequently lost to South Africa and Mexico. The team had hoped to advance as one of the best third-place finishers in the expanded tournament, but those hopes were dashed after Congo’s 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan on Saturday confirmed South Korea’s exit at the group stage.

President Lee expressed strong disapproval of the result and attributed the failure to poor personnel decisions within the national team’s leadership. “I am not just taken aback by this unexpected outcome, I am utterly baffled,” Lee said. He called for an investigation led by the Ministry of Sports and criticized what he described as favoritism and factionalism in appointments. “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 president added.

Hong, 57, who was serving his second tenure as South Korea’s head coach after previously managing the team at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, issued a public apology to Korean fans before departing the team’s base camp in Mexico. “To all of the Korean people who love and support our national team, I would like to genuinely apologize,” Hong said. “As the head coach, no explanation can supersede the ultimate result. I could not bring the result that our people had expected. All responsibilities are with me.”

Despite the early exit, South Korea remains a consistent presence in the World Cup, marking its 11th consecutive appearance in the tournament. The team’s best performance came in 2002 when it reached the semifinals as co-host.

Hong’s reappointment in 2024 had drawn scrutiny from some media outlets in South Korea, which alleged favoritism and questioned the transparency of the hiring process. Hong denied those allegations, emphasizing his commitment to the team and Korean football.

The national team program now faces significant upheaval as authorities respond to the president’s call for a full review. The investigation is expected to assess both personnel decisions and broader structural issues to address shortcomings revealed by the team’s unexpected early exit.