According to the Korea Football Association, head coach Hong Myung-bo is set to arrive at Incheon International Airport on Tuesday with several players and coaching staff, including striker Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain and defender Kim Min-jae of Bundesliga club Bayern Munich.
Other players including captain Son Heung-min of Los Angeles FC, are traveling separately and will arrive a few days later.
The early exit means no ceremony or press events are planned for them, amid huge disappointment among fans here.
After a 1–0 defeat to South Africa in its final group-stage match in Monterrey, northeastern Mexico, last week, South Korea had remained in contention only through a narrow set of scenarios for a place among the eight best third-placed teams.
But its hopes were eventually dashed after DR Congo secured an impressive 3–1 win over Uzbekistan, sealing its place in the round of 32 for the first time in about 52 years, since its humiliating exit in 1974 as Zaire, when it conceded many goals in heavy defeats.
President Lee Jae Myung also expressed disappointment over the South Korean team's "unexpected" results at the quadrennial football event despite high expectations. He then called for sweeping reforms across the sport's governing bodies, attributing South Korea's failure to reach the knockout stage to deeper structural and organizational problems.
His remarks appeared to refer to the appointment of Hong in July 2025, when he took the helm amid controversy over the lack of a transparent selection process. Hong replaced German coach Jürgen Klinsmann, who was sacked after a string of poor results and amid criticism that he spent too much time overseas and managed the team remotely.
Lee also instructed the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to push for urgent reforms in sports governance overall by conducting a comprehensive review of sports administration including resource allocation and personnel management to prevent similar failures in the future.
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