New Delhi: As South Korea failed to qualify for the knockout rounds in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, President Lee Jae Myung called for a probe over the national team’s early exit from the tournament. The manager Hong Myung-bo also led The Reds to a group stage exit in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
“When favouritism and cronyism take precedence over competence in selecting a commander, the result is as predictable as fire burning paper,” Lee said Sunday in a statement on the social media platform X.
The South Korean President slammed the “haphazard appointment” of coach Hong Myung-bo, who has resigned from his role following The Reds’ early exit from the World Cup, pushing their world ranking to 32—the worst for the Asian footballing giant in five years.
Hong had also led the team to a disastrous performance during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where the team finished last in a group consisting of Belgium, Algeria and Russia. The team has only qualified for the knockout rounds thrice since the 2002 edition, when South Korea and Japan co-hosted the tournament. In that edition, The Reds finished in fourth place—the highest by an Asian nation in the history of the tournament.
“The fact that such haphazard appointments—failing to distinguish public from private and prioritising personal gain over public interest—are possible stems from the inability or difficulty in monitoring, checking, and holding personnel decision-makers accountable,” said the President in his statement.
Apologising for the woes of South Korea in this year’s World Cup, which led to disappointment, he said, “We will swiftly push forward with reforms to sports administration to ensure such a thing never happens again.”
South Korea failed to make it to the Round of 32 from a group that featured Mexico (15th rank), South Africa (60th rank) and Czechia (40th rank). South Korea entered the World Cup ranked 25th.
While a lot of blame has been placed on Hong, including his decision to bench captain Son Heung-min in the last group game, there have been multiple editions of dismal performances from the players in the World Cup.
The steep fall in one of Asia’s biggest teams has long been in the making. Its preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been mired in controversy, especially over the appointment of the coach.
Klinsmann’s $4.5 million buyout
The last four years have seen the process of appointing a manager for the South Korean national team mired in controversy. Manager Paulo Bento resigned from his role as South Korea’s manager on 5 December 2022, immediately after the team’s 4-1 defeat to Brazil in the Round of 16 of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The team remained without a manager until February 2023, when Jürgen Klinsmann, the former manager of Germany and the US, was appointed to the role, with a contract till the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Klinsmann’s appointment quickly soured, as the German tactician was criticised for barely spending any time in the Asian country, mostly working out of his Los Angeles residence, despite assurances of living in South Korea during his tenure.
During the first six months of his tenure, Klinsmann spent only 67 days in South Korea. The German manager was fired barely one year into the job, following South Korea’s exit from the Asia Cup following a semi-final loss to Jordan in February 2024.
Klinsmann was heavily criticised by South Korean fans for smiling despite poor performances by the team during the tournament, while questions on his work ethic were consistently raised. Reports indicate that the Korean Football Association paid $4.5 million to buyout Klinsmann’s contract, which was to end in 2026.
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Hong’s controversial pick
Until July 2024, South Korea remained with interim managers, until Hong was appointed for a second tenure as the manager for The Reds. The appointment was immediately criticised, with accusations flying around of the lack of proper procedures followed by the Korea Football Association (KFA) over the selection of Hong.
The accusations have finally led to the Ministry of Culture of South Korea to launch an investigation into Hong’s appointment process on Monday.
Under the rules of the KFA, the appointment of a head coach/ manager must be done only after a recommendation from the National Team Committee – an advisory body – and approval from the board. According to reports, the top two candidates identified by the National Team Committee were Jesse Marsch, the current manager of the Canadian national team and Jesus Casas – the then manager of Iraq’s national team.
Hong was not on the shortlist. However, allegations have surfaced that KFA President Chung Mong-gyu intervened in the appointments process to ensure that the former star defender would be given the reins of the national team for a second time.
As the controversy hit a crescendo in 2024, Chung was summoned twice by lawmakers of the National Assembly to answer questions over the choice of Hong as manager. The controversial decision did not end.
In May 2026, Chung finally announced his intention to resign as President of the KFA following the World Cup, despite the fact that his term runs till early 2029.
As a South Korean player, Hong has made the most appearances at the World Cup with 16 caps, across four editions—1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002.
The former manager of the team was considered one of its greatest defenders in history, making 136 appearances for The Reds. However, as a manager for the national team, he has struggled to find success at the World Cup stage.
(Edited by Saptak Datta)