South Korea bow out of the World Cup in disappointment. Photo: AFP/FILE
ATLANTA:
South Korea’s dismal World Cup first-round exit has sparked fury at home and calls for a complete overhaul at the top have not been silenced by coach Hong Myung-bo’s resignation.
South Korea, World Cup semi-finalists as co-hosts in 2002, limped out of the tournament after failing to squeeze into the knockout rounds as one of the top eight third-place finishers.
They had the last 32 within their reach only to suffer a shock 1-0 loss to lower-ranked South Africa.
Their early exit prompted coach Hong to quit on Sunday and cast doubt over the international future of captain Son Heung-min.
It also earned the team a rebuke from the country’s president Lee Jae Myung, who pointed the finger at “incompetent people” and apologised to the nation.
The president’s comments reflect public anger that has reached boiling point after years of simmering discontent at South Korean football chiefs.
Former captain Park Ji-sung said, “We may have expected this outcome years ago.
“We have to look back and ask ourselves why things have come to this,” the former Manchester United player said after the team’s elimination was confirmed.
“Even after spending a decade learning how to prepare for the World Cup and develop Korean football, we have forgotten those lessons once again.”
South Korea were expected to get out of a Group A that included co-hosts Mexico, plus South Africa and the Czech Republic.
They started with a 2-1 win over the Czechs but lost 1-0 to Mexico before flopping against South Africa.
The team were expected to arrive home on Tuesday morning but local media reported that the Korea Football Association (KFA) were not planning to organise an event to welcome them back.
In 2014, angry fans pelted the team with Korean candies when they returned from the World Cup in Brazil, where they went out in the group stage during Hong’s first spell as coach.
‘Message to change’
Hong has been a lightning rod for criticism since he returned to the job in July 2024, five months after his predecessor, German World Cup-winner Jurgen Klinsmann, was axed.
The KFA came under fire for the process that led to Hong’s reappointment, with questions asked over its transparency and fairness.
Hong, who was regularly booed by fans, did himself no favours at the World Cup by dropping star player Son for the South Africa game, in which South Korea needed only a point to progress.
Hong admitted afterwards that he was struggling to understand what had gone wrong, as the nation nervously waited for results in other games to decide their fate.
Lee Chun-soo, a member of the 2002 World Cup team, said he “felt pathetic and frustrated rooting for Uzbekistan” against the Democratic Republic of Congo in the hope that the result would send South Korea through.
“This is a message to change,” Lee said on his YouTube channel. “Everyone should be ready to step down.”
South Korean fans reserved a sizeable chunk of their anger for KFA president Chung Mong-gyu.
Chung said before the World Cup that he would quit after the tournament, blaming his “lack of virtue” following fierce criticism of his 13-year tenure.
The 65-year-old, who is in his fourth term as KFA president, came under fire for trying to pardon former players who were banned for life for match-fixing.
Chung and Hong might not be the only ones to bow out, with captain Son yet to comment on his future.
The skipper, who turns 34 next month, had previously hinted at retiring from international football.
Former captain Park said South Korea needed to learn from the past.
“It’s unfortunate that this kind of cycle keeps repeating,” he said.
“We must dream of and shape a better future, and move forward step by step so that we don’t repeat these mistakes.”