Hong Myung-bo, head coach who failed to reach the round of 32 at the 2026 Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) North and Central America World Cup, returned home on the 30th. Eight players, including Jo Hyeon-woo, Kim Min-jae, Hwang In-beom, Hwang Hee-chan, Baek Seung-ho, Kim Moon-hwan, Lee Kang-in, and Seol Young-woo, were with him.
Hong entered the arrivals hall at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport at about 3:50 a.m. that day. About 100 fans at the scene chanted slogans such as "Hong Myung-bo, get out!" Some fans held hand signs with phrases such as "Hong Myung-bo, spit out the money and get out."
Hong got into a car and left for home without answering reporters' questions, including "Have you analyzed the cause of the loss against South Africa?"
Following the squad, Korea Football Association (KFA) President Chung Mong-gyu also entered the arrivals hall. Some fans were reported to have thrown "dog chews" at Chung.
To prepare for contingencies, police deployed more than 100 officers from a riot unit and the Airport Police Department. There were no physical clashes. Rather, some fans held up hand signs toward the squad with phrases such as "Don't bow your heads, you really worked hard."
There was no separate welcome event. It is the first time since the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup held in Korea. This contrasts with the homecoming event even after a record of one draw and two losses at the 2014 Brazil World Cup, which Hong led. At that time, some fans threw taffy at the national team, sparking controversy.
The men's national soccer team led by Hong recorded one win and two losses at this World Cup and was eliminated in third place in Group A. Fans who calculated "scenarios" while hoping for a last-minute advance to the round of 32 were deeply disappointed. Hong decided to resign, taking responsibility for the poor results.