South Korea coach Hong Myung Bo has resigned and the country's president has called for more consequences after their group-stage exit at the World Cup.
Hong has announced he is stepping down, South Korean news agency Yonhap wrote on Sunday, after picking up just three points in North America against expectations. Hong had previously flopped at the 2014 tournament as coach.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has weighed in, writing in a detailed statement on X that missing the knock-out rounds was an "absurd affair."
He added: "This failure to qualify for the World Cup finals, which has left the public feeling empty, appears to be a failure of organization and personnel."
The South Koreans, fourth in 2002, had appeared to have landed a manageable World Cup group at the expanded tournament.
They were drawn with co-hosts Mexico as well as South Africa and the Czech Republic.
After a 2-1 opening win against the Czechs, they lost against Mexico and surprisingly South Africa. Three points were not enough to progress as a third-placed team at the end of the group stage on Saturday.
"Since significant taxpayers' money and state resources are spent to participate in the World Cup, I ask the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to thoroughly analyse the exact situation and the causes of this matter and to carefully examine measures to prevent a repeat and to improve things," the head of state added.
