A particularly miserable World Cup exit can have a profound impact on a country, as South Korea have proved following their poor campaign out in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Heading into the tournament, South Korea (Korea Republic) were the second-highest ranked team in Group A.
They beat Czechia in their opening game but were beaten by co-hosts Mexico before surprisingly losing to South Africa in Guadalupe.
It has now been confirmed that they have missed out on the round of 32 after failing to qualify as one of the eight best third-placed teams in the competition.
South Korea president calls for review after World Cup nightmare
Head coach Hong Myung-bo – one of the heroes of his country’s run to the semi-finals in 2002 – has confirmed he will step down from his post.
Hong has taken full responsibility for the struggles and his appointment has been criticised by leading figures in South Korea.
That, however, is not where the inquest will stop. Indeed, the country’s president has urged the ministry of sport to investigate.
Lee Jae Myung, who was elected in 2025, claims he was “utterly baffled” by South Korea’s results as the 2026 World Cup and wants a review into their performances.
In a statement posted on social media platform X, he said: “I am not just taken aback by this unexpected outcome — I am utterly baffled.
“Given that significant national taxpayer funds and state support resources are invested even in World Cup participation, I ask that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism thoroughly investigate the precise circumstances of this incident, analyse its causes, and develop thorough measures for preventing recurrence and improvement.
“We will swiftly push forward with reforms to sports administration to ensure such a thing never happens again.”
South Korea went unbeaten in their qualifying campaign before enduring a miserable time of things at the tournament.
They are not the only relatively big soccer country to have suffered, however.
Two-time winners Uruguay also crashed out of the group stage. As such, the Uruguayan Football Association reportedly cancelled a chartered flight for the players home.
South Korea made it out of the group stage and into the round of 16 during the 2022 tournament in Qatar but did fall at the first hurdle during both the 2018 and 2014 editions in Russia and Brazil respectively.
