Things have continued to unravel for former South Korean coach Hong Myung-bo. Just days after stepping down following South Korea’s group-stage exit at the World Cup, Hong is now facing formal complaints from a civic group over allegations tied to his appointment as national team coach.

“The civic group that filed criminal complaints against KFA President Chung Mong-gyu… two years ago… announced today that it has filed an additional criminal complaint against Hong, arguing that he should also be considered to have participated in the alleged illegal conduct,” reported Joel Kim.

South Korea arrived at the World Cup expecting a deep run but couldn’t even get past the group stage. After beating Czechia, they went on to lose to Mexico and South Africa. That knocked them out of the World Cup. The early exit also marked South Korea’s ninth group-stage elimination in World Cup history, tying the most in the nation’s tournament history. And while some of the blame did fall on the players, most of the criticism centered on Hong Myung-bo.

After the World Cup failure, President Lee Jae Myung questioned the KFA about Hong’s appointment and ordered a review of the overall structure.  

He said, “The failure to qualify for the World Cup finals is a failure of organization and personnel… the result of selecting an incompetent person as the commander.”

Lee also described himself as “utterly baffled” by South Korea’s early exit and instructed the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to investigate the circumstances surrounding the team’s disappointing campaign and recommend reforms to prevent a repeat.

The scrutiny wasn’t directed solely at the team’s performances on the pitch. Hong’s reappointment in 2024 had already drawn criticism from sections of the Korean media over an allegedly opaque hiring process and claims of favoritism, allegations that Hong has consistently denied.

Days after Lee’s criticism, a civic group filed criminal complaints against Hong Myung-bo, Chung Mong-gyu, and Lee Im-sang. This is the same civic group that went after KFA President Chung Mong-gyu and other senior KFA officials two years ago.

The allegations against Hong and the other two officials include coercion, intimidation, obstruction of business, and breach of duty. They also allege that Hong participated in alleged irregularities surrounding his appointment and received a publicly funded salary that he was not entitled to.

Those allegations remain under investigation, and no findings have been announced against Hong or association officials.

Amid those developments, reports say Hong traveled to Los Angeles to join his family. Before boarding his flight, Hong said he had more to share and would speak properly on another day. There is no indication that authorities prevented his departure or accused him of attempting to evade the investigation. His departure has only added more attention as investigations and questions continue surrounding Korean football’s future.

Attention remains on Hong’s team selections during South Korea’s difficult World Cup campaign. His biggest decision came against South Africa, where he decided to bench captain Son Heung-min in what was a do-or-die match.

South Korea lost 1-0, finished with just three points, and the selection decisions remained heavily debated afterward. Hong later accepted full responsibility for the team’s exit, saying: “We were unable to achieve the results that the Korean people expected from us at this World Cup. That responsibility rests entirely with me as the head coach.”

He added, “I stand before you today not to offer explanations, but to accept responsibility,” before announcing his resignation.