The South Korean coach resigns from his position after criticism from his country’s president

Hong Myung-bo, the coach of the South Korean national team, resigned from his position, after his country’s president, Lee Jae-myung, said on the “X” social networking platform that the team’s exit from the group stage of the World Cup and not reaching the knockout stage is a matter of ridicule.

He added: “This failure in the World Cup finals, which shocked the Korean fans, is a failure of the system and individuals.”

Hong announced his resignation from his position, according to the South Korean Yonhap News Agency, on Sunday, after collecting three points in the tournament held in America, Mexico and Canada, contrary to expectations. Hong had also failed to reach the second round in the 2014 edition in his first term as coach.

The South Korean national team, the fourth World Cup in 2002, was drawn into a group that seemed theoretically easy in the World Cup with its new system.

The South Korean team was in Group A with Mexico, one of the hosts, South Africa and the Czech Republic.

After winning the first round over the Czechs 2-1, the team lost to Mexico and then surprisingly to South Africa, and the three points were not enough to qualify as one of the best third-place finishers at the end of the group stage yesterday, Saturday.

“Since huge sums of taxpayer money and state resources are being spent, I ask the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism to analyze this situation and its cause and study the necessary measures to avoid it happening in the future,” the South Korean president said.