South Korea Calls for Investigation After World Cup Performance

South Korea’s President, Lee Jae Myung, has requested an investigation into the nation’s disappointing World Cup performance, which resulted in the resignation of coach Hong Myung-bo. South Korea scored three points from three matches but did not advance out of Group A. The team defeated the Czech Republic and lost to Mexico and South Africa.

President Lee expressed confusion over the team’s performance and questioned Hong’s selection as coach. Hong, who has a celebrated history as a former star defender for the national team, announced his resignation shortly after South Korea failed to secure a spot among the eight teams advancing from third place in group play. “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,” the 57-year-old Hong stated.

The photo of Myung-Bo Hong, the Head Coach of South Korea, was captured at Monterrey Stadium on Wednesday in Guadalupe, Mexico. The image was provided by Carl Recine via Getty Images.

President Lee stressed the need for a comprehensive review of the financial resources allocated to the team’s World Cup participation. He emphasized that substantial taxpayer funds are involved, and the situation requires scrutiny. Lee urged the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to launch a thorough investigation, analyze the situation, and develop preventative and improvement measures.

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, analyze its causes, and develop thorough measures for preventing recurrence and improvement.

Lee also promised that the government will implement changes to prevent similar issues in the future. He pledged to accelerate reforms in sports administration.

Hong, a notable figure in South Korean football, participated in four World Cups (1990, 1994, 1998, 2002) during his illustrious playing career. He scored 10 goals in 136 international matches. Hong also served as South Korea’s manager from 2013 to 2014 but resigned after the team was eliminated during group play in the 2014 World Cup.