South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has blamed his country’s early World Cup exit on favouritism in personnel appointments, publicly blasting coach Hong Myung-bo and demanding a government-led investigation into the national team’s performance.
“I am not just taken aback by this unexpected outcome, I am utterly baffled,” Lee posted on X on Sunday, reacting to the team’s elimination despite widespread expectations that they would advance from a relatively straightforward group.
South Korea finished third in Group A after successive defeats to Mexico and South Africa, leaving them outside the eight best third-placed teams that advance to the round of 32.
Lee was unsparing in his assessment. “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.”
Hong’s re-appointment as national team manager in 2024 had already drawn allegations of favouritism and an opaque hiring process, all of which he denied. Lee appeared to revisit those concerns directly. “The reason such botched appointments, which fail to distinguish between public and private interests and prioritise personal gain over the public good, are possible is that it is impossible or difficult to monitor, check, and hold those with appointment authority accountable.”
Public anger has spilled beyond social media. A petition to dismiss Hong posted on the national assembly website quickly gathered the signatures required for an initial review, while posts showing shops displaying signs banning Hong from their premises have gone viral.
Lee called on the government to act. “The failure to qualify, which has left the public feeling disheartened, appears to be the result of organisational and personnel failures. I ask that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism thoroughly investigate the exact circumstances of this incident, analyse its causes, and develop measures to prevent recurrence and ensure improvement.”
