South Korea football coach quits as president calls for probe into World Cup loss

"Even though I am leaving the national team, I am not abandoning Korean football altogether," Hong said. "I will cheer for the national team from the bottom of my heart and hope that the team will be trusted and loved by the people once again."The announcement came after President Lee said that he felt "not just confusion but utter bewilderment at the unexpected outcome".In a post on X, Lee said that the early exit of the team "appears to be a failure of organisation and personnel"."When favouritism and cronyism take precedence over competence in selecting a commander, the result is as predictable as fire burning paper," he said.Hong's appointment to the head coach post was controversial from the start. The former defender was a hero of South Korea's 2002 World Cup success, having captained the team to a historic semi-final finish. But when he led the team as a coach in 2014, they failed to advance beyond the group stage - or win a single match.When Hong was appointed to the same job again in 2024, it was met with harsh uproar. Many football fans criticised the appointment as football association's old guards giving the top job to their friend, as the KFA passed on a few foreign-born candidates who had undergone a rigorous vetting process.On Sunday, Hong said that "accepting the job was not an easy choice"."I cannot say every decision has been the right one, but I can tell you that I have made every decision with Korean football in mind," he added.