Published On 1/7/2026
Hong Myung-bo, the resigned coach of the South Korean national team, was subjected to harassment and a barrage of insults as soon as the team’s delegation arrived in the country after its early elimination from the World Cup finals.
The South Korean team was eliminated from the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, occupying third place in Group A with 3 points, collected from a victory over the Czech Republic in the first match (2-1), followed by two shocking losses to Mexico and South Africa, respectively, with the same score (1-0).
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Hostile reception
Team officials planned for the delegation to arrive at 4:00 a.m. at Incheon Airport, which is 50 kilometers from the capital, Seoul, hoping to return in complete calm, but the attempt failed.
South Korea’s largest airport was packed with fans who came to express their extreme dissatisfaction with the team and the coach after their exit from the World Cup.
“Hong Myung-bo, go away,” one man shouted over a loudspeaker, while another shouted, “Hong Myung-bo, fuck you.”
The coach and players quickly headed towards the bus designated to transport them under a barrage of insults and banners, one of which bore Myung-bo’s face with a long nose similar to the “Pinocchio” character, and slogans demanding the dissolution of the South Korean Football Association.
Criticism of the coach
The Korean fans pointed the finger of blame at the coach and held him directly responsible for this exclusion, as some of his choices, such as keeping star Son Heung-min on the bench during the first half against South Africa, raised many questions.
The matter did not stop there, as this exclusion turned into a state issue after South Korean President Lee Jae-myung ordered the opening of an investigation led by the Ministry of Sports to find out the reason for what happened.
Lee Jae-myung, in a post on his official account on the
The president intervenes
In a lengthy post on the “X” platform, President Lee Jae-myung expressed his strong dissatisfaction with the failure, saying: “What I feel goes beyond bewilderment, it is a deep sense of absurdity in the face of this unexpected result.”
The president held responsible for the exclusion of the management mechanisms within the Korean Football Association, stressing that “prioritizing nepotism and divisions instead of competence, and appointing unqualified people to leadership positions, makes such an outcome almost inevitable.”
Anger over the early exit escalated to dangerous levels, as media reports, including Seoul Radio, reported that a direct death threat was directed at the coach via the Internet.
Accordingly, the South Korean authorities opened an urgent investigation and intensified security measures around Myung-bo’s whereabouts, especially at Incheon Airport, in anticipation of any targeting attempt.
The emails reportedly included an explicit threat from a person who claimed to be an American citizen, threatening to carry out an attack as soon as the coach arrived in the country, which prompted the police to treat the incident as a serious threat to public security, while working to identify the suspect.
