Current chaos in Korean football needs to become a turning point

Hong Myung-bo leaves after announcing his resignation as head coach of the Korean men's national football team during a press conference at Chivas Verde Valle in Zapopan, Mexico, June 29. Yonhap

Sunday brought the end of another Korea national team coach, the 15th permanent manager in the 21st century, though this feels different. Hong Myung-bo announced his resignation at a press conference in Zapopan. That was one of the better decisions he made in Mexico as there would have been a media frenzy upon his return home.

It brought to an end an extraordinary few days. Korea's loss to South Africa in the final game was a shock and sent the Taeguk Warriors into third in Group A. There was then an excruciating wait to see if the team would squeeze into the Round of 32 as one of the eight best third-placed teams. Fans and players were in limbo, forced to stay in Mexico for four extra days not knowing if there would be a game to play at the end of it.

As the other games were completed, Korea slid down that table and when the Democratic Republic of Congo defeated Uzbekistan, the tournament was over.

That was Saturday night local time. By the time the players woke up, President Lee Jae Myung had issued a message that was devastating to the Korea Football Association (KFA).

"I am really sorry to the people for letting them down with such a preposterous turn of events," Lee wrote on social media. "I feel that missing the knockout stage at this year's World Cup was due to the failure within the organization and personnel decisions."

He also promised that the sporting body would be reformed though he is going to have to be careful as FIFA takes a very dim view of governments getting involved in the affairs of federations. However, that is another issue. For now, it is all about what happens next.

Coach Hong has stepped down, an inevitable next move after a terrible World Cup performance when Korea started with a win over the Czech Republic but eventually lost to both Mexico and South Africa — passive displays of a team that seemed set up to lose rather than to win.

Yet even if Korea had managed to get into the Round of 32, the outcome would surely have been the same. The players looked mentally shot and Hong had run out of ideas.

KFA President Chung Mong-gyu has been in charge since 2013 and has become increasingly unpopular, a feeling which reached a peak with his hiring of Hong in 2024. Chung said before the World Cup that he would step down when it was all finished.

Now it is over. So there is no KFA head and no coach. The two objects of this unprecedented ire are gone but the energy and interest that has been on display in the past few days has to be directed well. There is an Asian Cup in January 2027, a tournament that Korea has not won since 1960. Yet it is not the priority.

It is not a time for knee-jerk reactions but time for clear heads with a clear vision of what needs to be done. The last few days have been some of the worst in the history of the Korean national team but they have to be a genuine turning point.

For too long, the team has bounced around and gone in different directions under different coaches. If this can change, then June 2026 could one day be seen as something positive.