South Korea's disappointing group-stage exit at the 2026 FIFA World Cup has sparked widespread outrage, with calls for sweeping changes to the country's football leadership continuing despite the resignation of head coach Hong Myung-bo.
The Taeguk Warriors, who famously reached the World Cup semi-finals as co-hosts in 2002, failed to progress to the knockout stages after missing out on a place among the tournament's eight best third-placed teams.
Their hopes were dashed by a shock 1-0 defeat to lower-ranked South Africa, a result that ended their campaign and triggered major fallout across South Korean football.
Hong stepped down on Sunday following the elimination, while the international future of captain Son Heung-min has also come under increasing scrutiny.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung publicly criticised the national team's leadership, apologising to supporters and blaming "incompetent people" for the country's failure.
The president's comments echoed growing public frustration with the Korea Football Association (KFA), which has faced criticism for several years over its leadership and decision-making.
Former captain Park Ji-sung believes the disappointing exit had been years in the making.
"We may have expected this outcome years ago," the former Manchester United midfielder said.
"We have to look back and ask ourselves why things have come to this. 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 widely expected to progress from a Group A featuring co-hosts Mexico, South Africa and the Czech Republic. They opened with a 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic before suffering a 1-0 defeat to Mexico and another 1-0 loss to South Africa, leaving them eliminated.
According to local media, the Korea Football Association decided not to organise an official welcome-home event when the squad returned on Tuesday, highlighting the sombre mood surrounding the team.
The latest disappointment revived memories of the 2014 World Cup, when angry supporters threw Korean candies at the players following another group-stage exit under Hong's first spell in charge.
Hong has faced heavy criticism since returning as national team coach in July 2024, following the dismissal of German World Cup-winning coach Jurgen Klinsmann.
The process surrounding Hong's appointment drew widespread criticism, with many questioning its transparency and fairness.
His decision to leave Son Heung-min out of the decisive defeat against South Africa—when South Korea required only a draw to qualify—further intensified scrutiny.
After the match, Hong admitted he struggled to explain what had gone wrong as the nation waited anxiously for results elsewhere that ultimately failed to rescue their campaign.
Former South Korea international Lee Chun-soo, a member of the country's historic 2002 World Cup squad, described the situation as humiliating.
"I felt pathetic and frustrated rooting for Uzbekistan against the Democratic Republic of Congo," Lee said on his YouTube channel, referring to South Korea's hopes of progressing through other results.
"This is a message to change. Everyone should be ready to step down."
Much of the supporters' anger has also been directed at KFA president Chung Mong-gyu.
Before the tournament, Chung announced he would resign after the World Cup, admitting a "lack of virtue" following sustained criticism during his 13-year tenure.
The 65-year-old, currently serving his fourth term as KFA president, also faced backlash over an attempt to pardon former players who had received lifetime bans for match-fixing.
Captain Son has yet to comment on his international future. The Tottenham forward, who turns 34 next month, has previously hinted that retirement from international football could be approaching.
Park Ji-sung believes South Korean football must finally learn from its repeated setbacks.
"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."
