South Korea's national football team faced a shocking exit from the group stage of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, prompting criticism from key figures of the 2002 World Cup semifinal team directed at coach Hong Myung-bo and the Korea Football Association (KFA).
The team lost 1-0 to South Africa in their final group match, failing to advance to the knockout stage. Analysts described the team's performance as even worse than the result indicated, with commentators and 2002 World Cup heroes expressing their discontent immediately after the match.
Park Ji-sung was among the first to voice his concerns, stating, "There was no sign that the team came out to win today. There was no will to create goals as a team, and it wouldn't have been surprising if we had conceded multiple goals. It was the worst match that almost led to a disaster."
He also criticized the tactical decisions made during the game, pointing out that even after conceding a goal, the team did not increase their attacking numbers. "Even while losing, there were too many players at the back," he said, condemning Hong Myung-bo's lack of aggressive strategy.
Lee Young-pyo echoed Park's sentiments, calling it "the most powerless performance South Korea has shown in the World Cup since the 21st century." He expressed his disappointment, saying, "Seeing us lose and be eliminated like this is really tough." He specifically questioned the timing of Son Heung-min's substitution, stating, "I understand the intention, but it had no effect in the end."
Lee Chun-soo criticized the team's repetitive attacking patterns, saying, "It was another 'please do it' style of football relying solely on Lee Kang-in. There was no movement or effort from the players." He pointed out that the team's reliance on individual creativity had been a recurring issue throughout the tournament.
Ahn Jung-hwan delivered the strongest critique, labeling the match against South Africa as the worst of the three games played in the tournament. He warned, "Unless everything is completely cleaned up, such failures will continue to happen." He added that if there were mistakes, the KFA needed a complete overhaul, targeting not just the national team but the entire operational system of the association.
The criticism was not limited to the match itself but also highlighted ongoing structural issues within the KFA and the management of the national team.
This tournament has reignited discussions about the KFA's past coaching appointment processes. A notable example is the controversy surrounding the reappointment of Guus Hiddink after the dismissal of Uli Stielike in 2017. Hiddink's camp expressed interest in returning to the national team, but the KFA claimed they had not received an official proposal.
However, Hiddink later refuted claims that financial issues were a barrier to negotiations, contradicting the KFA's narrative and sparking significant debate.
Initially, Kim Ho-gon, the KFA's vice president, faced backlash for stating he had never heard of Hiddink's interest and found such public sentiment unpleasant. He later apologized, saying, "I did not recognize it as an official proposal. I apologize to the public."
As a result, football fans are voicing concerns that nothing has changed since the Hiddink controversy in 2017, stating, "The KFA keeps repeating the same mistakes," and calling for a comprehensive reform of the national team’s management and coaching appointments.
Meanwhile, Hong Myung-bo resigned as head coach following the team's failure to advance in the World Cup. However, controversies surrounding the next coaching appointment and distrust in the KFA persist, raising questions about whether South Korean football can initiate fundamental reforms.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.