South Korean president demands investigation after national team's World Cup 2026 failure

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has issued a sharp response to the national team's disappointing performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The head of state declared that the failure was the result of serious personnel errors and ordered the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to launch a thorough investigation.

According to the president, such a poor outcome was the direct result of misguided staff management. His criticism was aimed squarely at head coach Hong Myung-bo, who resigned on June 28.

I am not simply confused—I am utterly baffled by this unexpected result. Once again, we have clear proof that personnel decisions are everything. If you prioritize personal connections over professional qualities and appoint incompetent people to leadership positions, the outcome is inevitable, Lee Jae-myung stated.

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Recall, the South Korean team was eliminated at the group stage of the World Cup. In Group A, the squad defeated the Czech Republic (2-1), but then fell to Mexico (0-1) and South Africa (0-1), finishing third and failing to reach the playoffs.