Resignation in 104 Seconds: What We Didn't Hear from Coach Hong Myung-bo

Even before the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, I diligently followed the opponent nations in Group A, the same group as South Korea. Watching the managers of each country preparing for the world's greatest stage stand before the press, I came to reflect on what "responsibility" means to them.

The managers I observed during the tournament were all different. There was the heavy patriotism of Czech Republic manager Miroslav Koubek, the characteristic humor and composure of Mexico manager Javier Aguirre, and the fox-like smoke-screen tactics of South Africa manager Hugo Broos. Although they faced their share of criticism back home, they were fundamentally confident before the fans and the media.


The reason was simple. They did not hide their efforts and direction on the fierce World Cup stage, but instead worked diligently to communicate them to the fans. They seemed to believe that this was the "responsibility" that comes with being a World Cup manager.

However, the final moments of South Korea's manager Hong Myung-bo, who prepared for the World Cup for 27 months, leave behind regret and questions.

Beyond the frustration of the press conference following the final defeat against South Africa, he closed the door on communication by limiting reporters' questions until the very last moment of announcing his resignation. While he may have verbally acknowledged that "the responsibility is mine," it was a one-way street that fell far short of resolving the doubts and disappointment in the hearts of the fans.
  South Korea was not the only team to suffer an early exit in this tournament. Uruguay, which fought Spain with a glimmer of hope until the last moment like us but ultimately finished third in their group and was eliminated, experienced the same. Their points were even lower than ours, and they faced national resentment as rumors of internal discord within the squad surfaced during the tournament. It was so severe that the charter flight scheduled for their return home was canceled.

Amid a barrage of criticism from the Uruguayan public, sharp questions were thrown at manager Marcelo Bielsa as he stood before the press. Yet, even as a world-class manager, instead of making excuses, he faced every question and openly took responsibility three times.


The sharp questioning from reporters continued. When asked if the critical mistakes made by the players were the problem, Bielsa replied firmly.
 
Even as his career built over the past three years was being dismissed, he did not hide. To the final question of what he had left for Uruguayan football as a manager, he accepted the failure entirely as his own, saying, "I have left nothing."
  The same was true for Fabio Cannavaro, manager of the Uzbekistan national team, which packed its bags after failing to earn a single point in this tournament. It was the moment their elimination was confirmed following a crushing 3-0 defeat to Brazil. A local reporter pointed out the mistake of a specific player who came on as a substitute and led to a conceded goal, asking if the manager would take responsibility.
 
He drew a sharp line, stating that the players' mistakes were his own. Instead, he reminded everyone of the reason for a manager's existence, saying, "My role is to give the players confidence so they can play football without fear, and to show my face and step forward to take responsibility when they falter."
  Another common trait among managers who do not avoid responsibility is that they review in detail before the media what specific efforts they made to prevent defeat. Scotland manager Steve Clarke, who, like us, had to wait for other group results as a third-place team, reviewed his tactical attempts in the second half even as his team crumbled against powerhouse Brazil.
 
Even if it ultimately ended in failure, it was a process of reporting his decisions and the team's movements to football fans.

Finally, here are the parting words of Czech Republic manager Miroslav Koubek, whose team had to pack up early after losing to our national team.
 
Perhaps what South Korean football fans wanted to hear most from manager Hong Myung-bo was precisely this kind of sensible and warm language of responsibility.
 
On the official FIFA YouTube channel, a playlist of managers' press conferences after each match is uploaded. While the official interview time recommended by FIFA is around 15 minutes, most managers spend over 10 minutes, and sometimes more than 20 minutes, enduring a barrage of sharp questions from reporters.

However, manager Hong Myung-bo's record in this tournament is quite different. Having held the microphone for 10 minutes and 37 seconds in the first match, which ended in a comeback victory, he finished his press conference in 6 minutes and 6 seconds in the second match as the shadow of defeat deepened, and in just 5 minutes and 52 seconds in the final third match.

Although there was an additional press conference of about 20 minutes the day after the South Africa match, it failed to convince the fans, and his reading of the resignation statement after elimination was confirmed lasted a mere 104 seconds without any Q&A.

The weight of responsibility carried by a World Cup manager is surely not measured by results alone. Enduring the disappointment of the fans with one's entire body at the moment of defeat is also a manager's responsibility. Seeing world-class managers bowing their heads with dignity is why the final image of our manager, hurriedly leaving the press room without taking questions, is remembered with even greater bitterness.

(Photo: Getty Images Korea, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.