South Korea’s exit from the FIFA World Cup: President Lee blames cronyism and demands investigation

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has blamed the early World Cup exit on favoritism in appointments and criticized head coach Hong Myung-bo while calling for a Sports Ministry-led investigation into the national team’s performance.

“I am not only surprised by this unexpected outcome, I am also completely baffled,” Lee wrote on X on Sunday after South Korea was eliminated despite being widely expected to emerge from his group.

Back-to-back losses to Mexico and South Africa left South Korea in third place in Group A and outside the top eight third-placed teams advancing to the round of 32.

«Once again it has been proven that personnel decisions mean everything. When ‘us versus them’ is prioritized over competence, and an incompetent person is selected as leader, the outcome is crystal clear,» Lee wrote.

Hong’s reappointment as national coach in 2024 had already drawn criticism in the South Korean media, with accusations of favoritism and a lack of transparency in the hiring process. Hong has denied the claims.

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“The reason such botched appointments, which fail to distinguish between public and private interests and prioritize personal gain over the public interest, are possible is that it is impossible or difficult to monitor, control and hold accountable those with appointment power,” Lee wrote.

A petition calling for Hong’s resignation, posted on the National Assembly’s website on Thursday, quickly gained the required number of signatures for an initial review. Social media posts showing stores with signs banning Hong from entering have also gone viral in South Korea.

“The inability to qualify, which has left the public discouraged, appears to be the result of organizational and personnel failures,” Lee said.

“I ask that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism thoroughly investigate the exact circumstances of this incident, analyze its causes and develop measures to prevent recurrence and ensure improvement.”

Published on June 28, 2026