South Korean police have launched an investigation after a death threat was posted online against national team head coach Hong Myung-bo, following the Taegeuk Warriors’ shock group-stage elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
According to local media reports, a post appeared online under the title “I’ll take the lead and kill Hong Myung-bo,” with its author claiming to be a U.S. citizen and writing that they intended to kill the coach at Incheon Airport upon his return to Korea.
The post was uploaded to an online community on June 28, with the author identifying themselves as a 41-year-old American national.
Authorities have responded swiftly to the threat. Police are investigating the post as a case of criminal threats, working to identify the author while closely monitoring Incheon Airport and other locations to prevent any incident during Hong’s return.
The threat emerged amid a wave of public fury directed at the 57-year-old coach. Notices banning Hong from entering certain restaurants and cafes have appeared both online and offline, and a doctored photograph circulated showing Hong appearing to instruct players to disperse upon arrival at the airport.
Some fans have called for protests at the airport, with one social media user vowing to throw eggs and demanding that Hong “stand at the front” when the team returns.
Notably, a similar scene unfolded after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil also under Hong’s leadership when angry fans threw Korean malt candy, whose name is a homonym for a Korean expletive, at him and the squad upon their return.
South Korea opened the tournament with a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic but suffered consecutive 0-1 losses to Mexico and South Africa, leaving their fate dependent on results from other groups’ third-placed teams.
The team ultimately finished 10th among the 12 third-placed sides across Groups J, K, and L, missing out on the knockout stage.
It marked South Korea’s worst-ever World Cup finish on paper, in 34th place surpassing even their bottom finish at the 16-team 1954 tournament and made them the only team from the previous World Cup’s knockout stage to fail to advance this time.
Hong’s tactical decisions drew particular scrutiny. He elected to start captain Son Heung-min on the bench against South Africa, later explaining he had intended to introduce the star in the second half to exploit tired opponents a plan that ultimately failed to produce a goal.
Hong officially announced his resignation at a press conference in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico, stepping down despite holding a contract through the 2027 Asian Cup.
He acknowledged that “accepting the job was not an easy choice” and said he could not claim every decision he made had been correct, but maintained that all were made with Korean football’s interests in mind.
The elimination has triggered reaction at the highest levels of government. President Lee Jae-myung called for an investigation into the team’s performance, saying the early exit “appears to be a failure of organisation and personnel” and that prioritising favoritism over competence in selecting a coach produces predictable results.
Other prominent figures, including Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-young and football legend Park Ji-sung, also publicly voiced disappointment over the team’s performance.
Source: via L’Équipe