South Korean president orders investigation into national team’s World Cup exit

South Korea’s early exit from the 2026 World Cup has triggered a major fallout. One day after other matches’ results confirmed the nation’s failure to reach the Round of 32, President Lee on Monday ordered a formal investigation into the team’s performance.

The president requested the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to conduct a comprehensive review of the organizational, managerial and sporting decisions that contributed to the early exit. Government officials had heavily criticized the Korean Football Association (KFA) following the team’s loss against South Africa, according to beIN SPORTS.

This investigation aims to identify shortcomings in the KFA’s planning, decision-making, and overall management of the national team project.

President Lee expressed disappointment at the outcome, criticizing the team’s elimination as a failure of organization and personnel.

South Korea opened their tournament with an impressive victory against the Czech Republic, raising expectations of a deep run. However, their hopes of reaching the knockout stage were quickly dashed after two consecutive defeats.

The team suffered a loss to co-hosts Mexico, followed by a decisive 0-1 defeat against South Africa. These poor results left South Korea third in Group A. They were officially eliminated when other group results did not fall in their favor to secure a spot as one of the eight best third-place teams.

Following the disappointing campaign, head coach Hong Myung-bo has announced his resignation. Hong’s return to the national team in 2024 sparked controversy and allegations of favoritism, making his tenure challenging from the beginning.

President Lee specifically pointed to these controversial personnel decisions, stating that prioritizing favoritism over competence leads to predictable failure, according to Al Jazeera.

South Korean football now enters a critical period of rebuilding. Federation officials are tasked with appointing a new head coach while completely reassessing the direction of the national team ahead of upcoming international competitions.