By Bilal Ahmed
South Korea’s early exit from the World Cup first round has ignited widespread anger at home, leading to calls for a complete overhaul of the national football system. The team, co-hosts and semi-finalists in 2002, failed to advance to the knockout rounds as one of the top eight third-place finishers. Their campaign ended after a surprising 1-0 defeat to lower-ranked South Africa, despite needing only a point to progress.
The disappointing performance prompted coach Hong Myung-bo’s resignation on Sunday, and has also raised questions about the international future of captain Son Heung-min. The nation’s president, Lee Jae Myung, openly criticised the team, attributing the failure to “incompetent people” and offering an apology to the public. These comments reflect a deep-seated public frustration that has been building for years against the leadership of South Korean football.
Public and presidential criticism
Former captain Park Ji-sung, a player for Manchester United, reflected on the situation, stating, “We may have expected this outcome years ago.” He urged a critical self-assessment, questioning why the situation had deteriorated to this point. Park added that despite a decade spent learning how to prepare for the World Cup and develop Korean football, those lessons seemed to have been forgotten.
South Korea was initially expected to advance from Group A, which included co-hosts Mexico, along with South Africa and the Czech Republic. They began their campaign with a 2-1 victory over the Czechs but then lost 1-0 to Mexico before their crucial defeat against South Africa.
The team was scheduled to return home on Tuesday morning, but local media reported that the Korea Football Association (KFA) did not plan to organise a welcome event. This contrasts sharply with 2014, when angry fans pelted the team with Korean candies upon their return from the World Cup in Brazil, where they also exited in the group stage during Hong’s initial tenure as coach.
The criticism of Hong has been significant since his return to the role in July 2024, five months after his predecessor, German World Cup-winner Jurgen Klinsmann, was dismissed. The KFA faced scrutiny over the transparency and fairness of the process that led to Hong’s reappointment. Hong, who was frequently booed by fans, further fuelled discontent by dropping star player Son for the decisive match against South Africa.
After the match, Hong admitted his struggle to comprehend what went wrong as the nation anxiously awaited results from other games to determine their fate. Lee Chun-soo, a member of the 2002 World Cup team, expressed his frustration, stating he “felt pathetic and frustrated rooting for Uzbekistan” against the Democratic Republic of Congo, hoping that result would secure South Korea’s progression. Lee, on his YouTube channel, declared, “This is a message to change. Everyone should be ready to step down.”
Future of key figures in doubt
A significant portion of public anger has been directed at KFA president Chung Mong-gyu. Chung had previously announced his intention to resign after the tournament, citing his “lack of virtue” following intense criticism of his 13-year leadership. The 65-year-old, currently in his fourth term as KFA president, also faced backlash for attempting to pardon former players who had received lifetime bans for match-fixing.
The departures of Chung and Hong may not be the only changes, as captain Son has yet to comment on his international future. The skipper, who will turn 34 next month, had previously hinted at retiring from international football. Park Ji-sung reiterated the importance of learning from past mistakes, lamenting the recurring cycle of disappointment.
Park emphasised the need for a forward-looking approach, stating, “We must dream of and shape a better future, and move forward step by step so that we don’t repeat these mistakes.” The dramatic conclusion to the third-place race saw Iran and South Korea ultimately miss out on the last 32, joining Scotland and Uruguay in their early exits from the tournament on June 28.
