As Korea failed to secure advancement to the round of 32 on its own at the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, criticism of coach Hong Myung-bo is intensifying online. Amid this, a photo of a notice at a convenience store reading "Hong Myung-bo is banned from entry" is spreading.
On the 26th, a post titled "Smiley convenience store update" was uploaded to an online community. A photo attached to the post showed a notice the size of an A4 sheet posted on the entrance door of a convenience store. The notice had the phrase "Hong Myung-bo is banned from entry" written in large letters.
The phrase is being interpreted as satire aimed at coach Hong after the national team lost 0-1 to South Africa in the Group A finale of the group stage the previous day. Korea was rated as superior on objective strength, but ultimately lost without breaking through South Africa's goal. As a result, it missed the chance to advance directly to the round of 32 as the group's runner-up and is now forced to wait on results from other groups.
Online users had mixed reactions to the photo. Some said, "How angry must the store owner be to put up a notice like that," and "The anger of soccer fans is captured in that one sentence."
Korea lost 0-1 to South Africa in the Group A third match of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup at 10 a.m. on the 25th at Estadio de Monterrey in Mexico. In the FIFA rankings, Korea is 24th and South Africa is 61st, so many expected Korea to have the upper hand before kickoff.
However, Korea could not break its sluggish flow throughout the match. After conceding first, it tried to rally but failed to create decisive chances, and had to accept a one-goal defeat. South Africa, considered the weakest in the group, beat Korea and secured its first-ever round of 32 berth in its World Cup history.
Korea, by contrast, stayed in third place in the group after the loss to South Africa. With the tournament expanded to 48 teams, the top two from each group advance directly to the round of 32, and eight of the 12 third-place teams with the best records also reach the knockout stage. The third-place standings are determined by points, goal difference, goals scored, fair play points, and so on.
Even a draw against South Africa would have greatly increased Korea's chances of reaching the round of 32, but the loss cost it the chance to advance on its own. As a result, criticism over Hong's tactics, player selection, and in-game management is likely to continue for the time being.