South Korean President, ex-players, fans demand change after World Cup exit
Key takeaways
- South Korea’s World Cup exit after the group stage prompted the coach to quit, with the President calling for an investigation into the team’s poor showing.
- South Korea, World Cup semi-finalists as co-hosts in 2002, limped out of the tournament after failing to squeeze into the knockout rounds as one of the top eight third-place finishers.
- They had the last 32 within their reach only to suffer a shock 1-0 loss to lower-ranked South Africa.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
South Korea’s World Cup exit after the group stage prompted the coach to quit, with the President calling for an investigation into the team’s poor showing.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo South Korea's Son Heung-min looks dejected after they lost to South Africa in the final group game [Raquel Cunha/Reuters]By AFPPublished On 29 Jun 202629 Jun 2026South Korea’s dismal World Cup first-round exit has sparked fury at home and calls for a complete overhaul at the top have not been silenced by coach Hong Myung-bo’s resignation.
South Korea, World Cup semi-finalists as co-hosts in 2002, limped out of the tournament after failing to squeeze into the knockout rounds as one of the top eight third-place finishers.