Returned Hong Myung-bo to Prepare for Hearing: "Due to Threats Against My Family"

Former national football team manager Hong Myung-bo, who stepped down and left for the United States after failing to advance to the round of 32 at the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, has reportedly returned to South Korea last week and is currently staying in the country.

Previously, Hong departed for Los Angeles, where his family resides, on July 2, just two days after returning to South Korea following the North and Central America World Cup.

At the time, criticism arose that it was a "fleeing departure" as he left the country without properly explaining the World Cup failure to the public. Hong explained, "It was due to threats directed at my family and concerns over personal safety."

The National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee has decided to hold a hearing regarding the operation of the Korea Football Association. Hong, who has been adopted as a witness, previously stated that he would attend the hearing, saying, "I will tell the truth as I know it before the public and will not avoid any questions."

In the recent North and Central America World Cup, Hong led a golden generation including Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in, and Kim Min-jae, placed in a group with Czech Republic, Mexico, and South Africa—which was evaluated as a favorable draw—and raised expectations of advancing to the round of 32. However, he failed to reach the knockout stage with a dismal record of 1 win and 2 losses.

Hong voluntarily resigned with seven months left in his term to take responsibility for the poor performance, but public criticism has not subsided.

In particular, as controversies over procedural legitimacy had already arisen when he was selected as national team manager for the second time in July 2024, the upcoming hearing is expected to call Hong as a witness to scrutinize the managerial appointment process, the causes of the World Cup slump, responsibility for match operations, and the circumstances surrounding his departure to the U.S.

Reported by Kim Taewon | Video by Ahn Jun-hyeok | Graphics by Yook Do-hyun | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.