Lead

South Korea's men's national football team returned home from the FIFA World Cup to a sharply divided reception, with outgoing head coach Hong Myung-bo met by boos and anger at Incheon International Airport, while captain Son Heung-min received encouraging words from fans a day later. The contrasting welcomes came as the government announced plans to audit the Korea Football Association (KFA) following the team's group-stage exit.

Coverage Comparison

Hong and nine of his 26 players landed at Incheon International Airport early Tuesday, just over 24 hours after Hong announced his resignation. According to Yonhap News Agency, Hong stepped down to take responsibility for South Korea's failure to advance from the group stage. Among those returning with him were Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Lee Kang-in, Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae, and Wolverhampton Wanderers attacker Hwang Hee-chan.

Yonhap reported that Hong was greeted with boos and anger from the crowd, a stark contrast to the reception Son received the following day. Son led a small group of players back early Wednesday morning and was met with encouraging words from dozens of supporters. The KFA said players and coaching staff traveled home in small groups due to difficulties booking flights, with other members expected to arrive over the following two days.

South China Morning Post added that the squad had been set to be greeted by heightened police security rather than the usual airport welcome ceremony, with the KFA saying there would be "no separate homecoming event." This marked the first time South Korea returned from an overseas World Cup without a formal airport reception, according to the newspaper.

Key Claims

  • South Korea finished third in Group A with three points from a win and two losses, defeating the Czech Republic 2-1 before suffering 1-0 defeats against Mexico and South Africa. As reported by Yonhap, the team ended up 10th among the 12 third-place teams, missing the knockout round.
  • Hong Myung-bo resigned from his post as head coach, announcing his decision Sunday morning (local time) in the team's base camp in Zapopan, western Mexico. Yonhap reported that Hong's detractors have pointed to his failure to guide South Korea past the group stage in the 2014 World Cup as well.
  • The government plans to launch an audit into operations at the Korea Football Association to determine what went wrong for the national team program. Yonhap reported that the audit will also revisit what many critics say was an opaque process to appoint Hong for a second time in July 2024.
  • Anger over the team's early exit has spilled into online death threats and viral restaurant bans. South China Morning Post reported that police were tracing the author of a deleted online post that allegedly threatened to kill Hong at Incheon airport, with the writer claiming to be a 41-year-old US national. Police were preparing for possible disturbances at the airport and considering whether to apply criminal intimidation charges. The newspaper also reported that restaurants, convenience stores, and other businesses had posted signs barring Hong from entry.
  • Police are monitoring a furious public response to South Korea's failure to reach the round of 32, as reported by South China Morning Post.
  • Son Heung-min led a small group of players in their return home and was greeted with encouraging words from supporters, according to Yonhap. The fans' reaction to the players was in stark contrast to the boos and profanity aimed at Hong the previous day.

Perspectives

Outgoing head coach Hong Myung-bo: Hong resigned from his post, holding himself accountable for the team's dismal performance. He did not publicly comment on the fan backlash, but his resignation reflected that he took responsibility for the early exit, as reported by Yonhap.

Korea Football Association (KFA): The association said there would be "no separate homecoming event" for the team, according to Yonhap and South China Morning Post. The KFA also explained that players and staff traveled in small groups due to difficulties booking flights home.

South Korean fans: Fans expressed anger towards Hong, with boos and profanity at the airport, online death threats, and restaurant bans. In contrast, supporters greeted captain Son Heung-min with encouraging words, reflecting a distinction in public sentiment between the coach and the players.

South Korean government: The government plans to launch an audit into KFA operations to determine what went wrong for the national team program, including revisiting the opaque appointment process for Hong, as reported by Yonhap.