# South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo resigns after World Cup exit as president orders investigation
> Hong stepped down Sunday taking full responsibility after South Korea lost 1-0 to South Africa and then to Mexico in the group stage; President Lee Jae-myung called the coach 'incapable' and ordered the sports ministry to investigate both the performance and Hong's original appointment

**Meta:** type: event · date: 2026-06-28 · heads: 誰が決めるのか · 5 takes · 5 lenses · 2 regions

## Summary

South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo resigned Sunday after the national team's group-stage exit from the 2026 World Cup. South Korea won its opener against the Czech Republic but lost 1-0 to South Africa and then fell to Mexico in the decisive match. Hong said he took full responsibility. President Lee Jae-myung condemned the campaign, calling Hong "incapable" and ordering the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to investigate both the team's performance and the process by which Hong was originally appointed.

## Why it matters

The presidential intervention transforms a disappointing tournament exit into a political accountability question. President Lee's direct attack on Hong's hire, framing it as a product of "loyalty and factionalism over competence," signals that South Korea's football governance structure will face formal state scrutiny, a rare step that reflects how deeply the [World Cup](/ja/entity/fifa-world-cup) matters to South Korean national politics.

## Regional takes (batched by bias / lens)

### US sports broadcaster; first to confirm the resignation and the 12:19 PM ET timestamp; separately covered the presidential investigation angle at 5:17 PM ET
- **Fox Sports** (United States, en) — Reported that Hong Myung-bo resigned Sunday as South Korea head coach following the group-stage exit, taking 'full responsibility' for a campaign in which the team won its opener against the Czech Republic then lost consecutive games to South Africa and Mexico.
  > "South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo resigns after early 2026 World Cup exit."
  Source: https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/south-korea-coach-resigns-world-cup-exit-hong-myung-bo

### global sports network; covered the dual angle of resignation and presidential criticism, including President Lee's direct attack on the hire process
- **ESPN** (United States, en) — ESPN reported Hong Myung-bo's resignation and contextualised President Lee Jae-myung's statement that 'if loyalty and factionalism are valued over competence, the outcome is predictable,' a reference to the perception that Hong was a politically connected appointment.
  > "South Korea coach Hong Myung-Bo quits after World Cup exit, criticism from president."
  Source: https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49208667/south-korea-coach-hong-myung-bo-quits-world-cup-exit-criticism-president

### US news network; focused on the presidential investigation dimension, framing it as South Korea's football system coming under state scrutiny
- **NBC News** (United States, en) — NBC News reported President Lee's call for a 'thorough investigation' by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism into the World Cup results and Hong's appointment process, describing the response as 'utterly baffled' public reaction.
  > "South Korea president calls for investigation into World Cup exit."
  Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/soccer/south-korea-president-investigation-world-cup-coach-resigns-rcna352181

### international broadcaster; reported on June 29 with wider South Korean public and player reaction, including calls from ex-players and fans for a systemic overhaul
- **Al Jazeera** (Qatar, en) — Al Jazeera's June 29 report broadened the story to former South Korean internationals and fans joining the president in demanding structural change to the national team program.
  > "South Korean president, ex-players, fans demand change after World Cup exit."
  Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/29/south-korean-president-ex-players-fans-demand-change-after-world-cup-exit

### unlabelled
- **Yahoo Sports (AP)** (United States, en) — 
  Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/article/world-cup-2026-south-korea-president-calls-for-government-investigation-into-teams-early-exit-head-coach-hong-myung-bo-resigns-193636775.html

## Across the graph
- Related: [[world-cup-canada-south-africa-r32-jun28]], [[world-cup-2026-messi-record]]
- Entities: Fifa World Cup

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Canonical: https://rbtfl.xyz/ja/n/korea-wc2026-coach-resign-jun28