One banner at Incheon International Airport read: "South Korean football is dead." After what unfolded at the 2026 World Cup, it's hard to argue with the sentiment.
South Korea returned home Sunday to a hostile reception following a group-stage exit that ended with a 1-0 loss to South Africa — a result that left them with one win, two losses, and no path to the knockout rounds. Head coach Hong Myung-bo resigned the same day, though given the mood outside arrivals, the decision felt more like an inevitability than a choice.
As Hong emerged from the terminal, supporters jeered and chanted for his departure. He walked past reporters without taking questions. Police had to create a secure corridor to the team bus as protesters gathered with signs. The Korea Football Association, for its part, didn't even bother organizing an official welcome ceremony.
Son on the bench — that's where it fell apart
The tactical decision that defined Hong's tenure, and arguably ended it, was his choice to keep Son Heung-min on the bench for the opening half of a must-win match against South Africa. That call dominated every post-mortem conversation and drew the sharpest criticism from supporters who had arrived at the airport specifically to express their anger.
Son, 33, was widely seen as the focal point of one of South Korea's most talented squads in recent memory. With Kim Min-jae anchoring the defence and Lee Kang-in providing creativity in midfield, this group was supposed to go deep. The Round of 16 felt like a floor, not a ceiling. Instead, South Korea didn't even reach it.
For a squad of this calibre to exit at the group stage, the coaching decisions matter enormously — and Hong acknowledged after the elimination that he struggled to explain why the tournament had unraveled. That admission, rather than easing frustration, hardened it.
Questions that predate the tournament
Hong's problems didn't start in the group stage. His appointment in 2024 was contentious from the outset, with supporters and critics arguing the Korea Football Association's hiring process lacked transparency. The World Cup didn't create the skepticism — it just confirmed it.
The players received a markedly different reception at the airport. Many fans applauded the squad and thanked them individually, separating their frustration with the coaching from their respect for the players. It was a sharp, visible contrast: jeers for the coach, sympathy for the team.
South Korea now faces a coaching search with a generational window rapidly closing. Son won't be 33 forever. Kim Min-jae and Lee Kang-in are in their primes right now. Whoever the KFA appoints next will inherit a squad capable of reaching a World Cup quarterfinal — and a fanbase with zero patience for another waste of it.
