South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has called for an investigation following the national football team’s disappointing performance at the World Cup. The team, coached by Hong Myung-bo, failed to advance from Group A, securing only three points from three matches. South Korea managed a win against the Czech Republic but lost to Mexico and South Africa.

Presidential Concerns

President Lee expressed his confusion regarding the team’s performance and questioned the choice of Hong as coach. Hong, a former star defender for South Korea, announced his resignation after the team’s elimination, stating his commitment to the role despite the challenges. “It was not an easy decision for me to take this role, but once I took it, I thought about nothing else except being responsible until the very last moment,” Hong mentioned.

“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, analyze its causes, and develop thorough measures for preventing recurrence and improvement.”

Call for Reform

President Lee has urged the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to examine the expenses related to the World Cup. He emphasized the need for deep scrutiny into the management and allocation of taxpayer funds for the event. The president plans to advance reforms in the country’s sports administration to prevent similar issues in the future.

Hong’s history as a football player includes participation in four World Cups (1990, 1994, 1998, and 2002) and scoring 10 goals across 136 international matches. He previously managed the South Korean team from 2013 to 2014, resigning after their group stage exit at the 2014 World Cup.