Hong quits, takes blame for campaign going south

South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo resigned on June 28, a day after his side’s group-stage exit from the World Cup and following condemnation from the country’s President.

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The 57-year-old former captain, in his second stint as South Korean boss, oversaw an early elimination from the tournament for the second time, after the failure at the 2014 edition.

The Taegeuk Warriors were expected to progress from a group which included co-hosts Mexico, as well as South Africa and the Czech Republic.

But they finished third on three points, after suffering 1-0 defeats by South Africa and Mexico, with their only success being a 2-1 win over the Czechs.

It left them hoping to squeeze into the knockout stages as one of the best eight third-placed finishers.

That hope was extinguished on June 27 by results elsewhere, with Hong taking responsibility on June 28.

“Over the past two years I asked myself the same question whenever I had to make important decisions, select players or prepare for training session and matches: Is this the right choice for Korean football?” Hong told reporters in Mexico, according to Yonhap News Agency.