Less than 24 hours after South Korea’s elimination from the World Cup, head coach Hong Men Bo announced his resignation. The decision came in the wake of harsh criticism from the country’s president, who labeled the coach “incompetent” and ordered a comprehensive review of the national team’s program.
Reading from a prepared statement and declining to answer questions, Hong said, “First and foremost, I want to sincerely apologize to everyone who loves Korean football and has always supported our national team. Today, I have decided to step down as the head coach of South Korea’s national team.
Taking on the role of head coach was not an easy decision for me. However, from the moment I accepted this position, I never considered any other reasons or excuses. I believed my sole duty was to fulfill the responsibilities entrusted to me until the very end.
I cannot claim that every decision I made was always correct. But I can say that the standard guiding each of my decisions was what I believed to be best for Korean football.”
Hong’s departure marks his second unsuccessful tenure as South Korea’s head coach. He also resigned immediately following the team’s disappointing performance at the 2014 World Cup.
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