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Former Coach Hong Myung-bo Faces Anger After Tournament Elimination

Tuesday, June 30, 2026
5 min read
Former Coach Hong Myung-bo Faces Anger After Tournament Elimination

Former head coach Hong Myung-bo and some of the national team were met by real anger when they got home on Tuesday, right after being eliminated early in the tournament. It wasn't a welcome. It was pure frustration.

Just twenty-four hours after he announced his resignation, Hong landed at Incheon Airport with nine players Lee Kang-in, Kim Min-jae, Hwang Hee-chan included. And what they got instead of a hero’s Greeting? A wave of boos. Chants. Banners screaming demands for accountability.

Fans gathered outside the airport just shouting things like, “Hong Myung-bo, get out!” One banner was blunt: “Korean Football Is Dead.”

Police had to step in. They set up a security corridor to escort Hong from the terminal to a waiting car because he just ignored all the media questions. And this is happening after reports surfaced that he received an online death threat following the team’s disappointing run. It really shows how bad things felt behind closed doors.

The Korea Football Association, or KFA? They decided not to hold their usual welcome ceremony for the returning squad. That was the first time they skipped it since 2002 after a major away tournament like this. A clear sign of something being deeply off.

The World Cup campaign itself just felt flat. Not exactly memorable football.

Just scraping by.

Hong stepped down before leaving Mexico, finally accepting responsibility for the failure and ending his second stint as coach. The pressure just kept building up.

The fallout didn't stay in the locker room though. It spilled over everywhere.

Then there’s the KFA itself. They are under fresh scrutiny now too. People are questioning how Hong was reappointed back in July 2024. All of it.

Written by Gree News Team — Senior Editorial Board

Gree News Team covers international news and global affairs at Gree News. Our collective of senior editors is dedicated to providing independent, accurate, and responsible journalism for a global audience.

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