South Korea’s early exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup has shaken soccer’s foundation within the country. Despite a win against Czechia, consecutive defeats to Mexico and South Africa saw fans turn on head coach Hong Myung-bo. He was greeted with boos and “Hong Myung-bo, get out” chants at the airport. However, the team’s captain Son Heung-min received a hero’s welcome at Incheon Airport.
“Around 4:30 a.m. KST, Son Heung-min emerged from Incheon Airport under heavy security and was quickly escorted outside. Supporters welcomed him home w/ loud cheers & shouts of I love you!” Joel Kim shared via X.
Heung-min and a few other players returned home on Tuesday. But unlike what their coach had faced at the airport, they were greeted with cheers and encouraging words from the fans. “I Love You”, “Don’t hang your head” and “Thank you for your hard work” chants were all over. The South Korean captain was seen nodding his head, acknowledging the support.
It was clear that many had accepted his apology. “I don’t know where to begin,” Son wrote in an Instagram post the day before his arrival. “I can’t pretend [nothing happened], and I don’t want to escape reality… First of all, I would like to say sorry to all the Korean people and to the fans who love football.”
Meanwhile, even Hong Myung-bo taking the blame and announcing his retirement wasn’t enough for the fans. On Monday, the national team’s official fan club Red Devils issued a statement calling for Myung-bo’s banishment from the sport entirely.
They demanded the head coach “kneel before the entire nation and leave the football world forever.”
There’s no doubt that the fans expected a better show from South Korea. They entered the World Cup after going unbeaten in the qualification rounds. However, the loss against a 60th-ranked South Africa stunned fans. Despite having players like Son Heung-min, Paris Saint-Germain’s Lee Kang-in, and Bayern Munich’s Kim Min-jae, the team struggled.
However, the current situation may be emblematic of a bigger problem than either the coach or the captain taking responsibility for the team’s poor performance.
South Korea’s President calls for an investigation
Besides taking accountability for South Korea’s group-stage exit, the head coach resigned from the position. However, that may not be the end of this saga.
“It was not an easy decision for me to take this role. But once I took it, I thought about nothing else except being responsible until the very last moment,” Hong said as he dropped his resignation.
The Last time he managed the team during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, they stayed winless. KFA president Chung Mong-gyu reportedly tried to block the move when Myeun-bo was appointed as head this time. Now the nation’s president is seeking answers.
South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung has called for an investigation into what went wrong under Hong Myun-bo.
“Given that significant national taxpayer funds and state support resources are invested even in World Cup participation, I ask that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism thoroughly investigate the precise circumstances of this incident, analyse its causes, and develop thorough measures for preventing recurrence and improvement,” said President Lee.
Where things lead from here will depend on what this investigation uncovers, if it happens.
