With Korea's national soccer team failing to reach the round of 32 at the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, public criticism of coach Hong Myung-bo is intensifying.
On the 28th, an online community carried a post that said, "I will kill Hong Myung-bo at Incheon Airport on the day he returns." The writer introduced themself as a 41-year-old U.S. national and foreshadowed the crime. The post has since been deleted. Police said they are tracking the writer and will be prepared for the possibility of an unexpected incident during the team's return.
Verification photos of restaurants and cafés with signs reading "Hong Myung-bo not allowed to enter" are also spreading online. Earlier, on the 26th, when the national team lost to South Africa, a photo of a notice reading "Hong Myung-bo not allowed to enter" posted on a convenience store door was uploaded to an online community.
Meanwhile, this is the first time in eight years since the 2018 Russia World Cup that Korean soccer has failed to advance from the World Cup group stage. After completing all Group K matches, Korea dropped outside the cutoff of eighth place in the ranking among third-place teams and was confirmed eliminated.
Korea's group-stage elimination at the World Cup is the ninth, following the tournaments in 1954 Switzerland, 1986 Mexico, 1990 Italy, 1994 United States, 1998 France, 2006 Germany, 2014 Brazil, and 2018 Russia.
Depending on the remaining Group J results, Korea will finish the tournament in 33rd or 34th place.
This North and Central America World Cup is the first tournament in which the number of participating nations expanded from 32 to 48. Even so, by failing to advance from the group stage, Korea received a disappointing report card tantamount to failing to qualify for the finals under the previous 32-team format.