"This is the least turbulent tournament I have ever experienced, both inside and out. The 2014 Brazil tournament was about 50 times more difficult."

Hong Myung-bo, head coach of the South Korean national football team, emphasized that there are no particular issues within the team.

On June 25, the Hong Myung-bo squad lost 0-1 to South Africa in their final Group A match of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup.

South Korea suffered the humiliation of dropping to third place in the group, leaving their advancement to the Round of 32 uncertain.

It was not just the result that was poor; the performance on the pitch was also deeply disappointing.

The players were slow, and there was a clear lack of coordination.

Passing was inaccurate, and decision-making was sluggish.

The performance was vastly different from the first match, a 2-1 comeback victory against the Czech Republic, or the second match, where they played well against Mexico before conceding a goal due to a defensive error and losing.

This is why concerns are being raised about potential internal issues within the squad.

However, Coach Hong drew a line, stating that the atmosphere within the team is normal.

Coach Hong met with reporters today (June 26) at the Chivas Verde Valle training ground, the team's base camp in Guadalajara, Mexico, ahead of the national team's recovery training session.

Coach Hong said, "There was some restlessness during the Mexico match, but I do not believe there are problems within the squad," adding, "I am the type of person who takes such matters sensitively and prepares thoroughly, so I can say that no such issues existed."

Coach Hong appeared unable to pinpoint the exact reason for the team's sudden collapse in the third match.

"It is true that we are also bewildered as to why this happened," Coach Hong said.

He continued, "It seems the players were under too much pressure to perform well and had a very strong desire to win and secure our spot. I think the combination of mental and psychological pressure, along with the hot weather, led to a lack of cohesion. I plan to talk to the players today," he explained.

Following the match against South Africa, Seol Young-woo (Red Star Belgrade) hinted at taking legal action against malicious comments, drawing criticism from fans, while there were also accusations that Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) did not play with full effort.

With the shocking defeat, rumors of discord surrounding the team are beginning to emerge.

However, Coach Hong stated, "I think this is the least turbulent tournament I have ever experienced, both inside and out."

He emphasized that the atmosphere is much better than it was 12 years ago during the Brazil World Cup, when he led the national team.

"I think we need to look at this in terms of continuity. These are issues that can arise in conjunction with poor match results," Coach Hong added.

"Not just football players, but everyone in life tends to blame others when results are poor. Football players also tend to say such things when results are not good," said Coach Hong.

He then added, "I told the players to blame me. Regarding Kim Seung-gyu's mistake in the Mexico match, I told them not to blame Kim Seung-gyu, but to blame the coach for not preparing them for such situations."

(Photo: Yonhap News)