Birmingham City midfielder Paik Seung-ho's participation in the World Cup has ended amid a furious backlash in South Korea after the team's early exit, prompting national team manager Hong Myung-bo to resign and drawing criticism from the country's president.
Manager Hong Myung-bo resigns after group stage exit
South Korea failed to progress beyond the group stages of the World Cup after suffering back-to-back defeats to Mexico and South Africa, despite starting the competition with an impressive victory over Czechia. The team's performance was not well received back home, and Hong stepped down after two years in charge of the national team.
"To all of the Korean people who love and support our national team, I would like to genuinely apologise. Today, I'd like to announce that I will step down as the national team head coach," Hong said in a press conference. "It was not an easy decision for me to take this role, but once I took it, I thought about nothing else except being responsible until the very last moment. I believed that was the only way for me to work."
"As the head coach, no explanation can supersede the ultimate result. I could not bring the result that our people had expected. All responsibilities are with me. I want to thank our coaches and staff who worked with me with one common goal. Today, I step down as the national team head coach. However, my heart for Korean football will remain the same. I will now support Korea national team to regain the trust and love of our people."
President Lee Jae-myung slams team performance
Hong's departure comes after South Korea's president, Lee Jae-myung, slammed the team's performance on social media. "I am not just taken aback by this unexpected outcome, I am utterly baffled," Lee posted on X. "Once again, it has been proven that personnel decisions are everything. When 'us versus them' is prioritised over competence, and an incompetent person is selected as a leader, the outcome is as clear as day."
Birmingham City midfielder Paik Seung-ho started all three games for South Korea in his second World Cup. He is set to be given additional time off after competing in the tournament while his teammates return to the Elite Performance and Innovation Centre to begin pre-season this week.
Paik Seung-ho faces shoulder surgery decision
The midfielder must now decide whether to have shoulder surgery, which would see him miss the start of the season, or delay the procedure until next year. The decision will impact his availability for Birmingham City's early fixtures.
