Unauthorized Drone Disrupts Hong Myung-bo's Closed Training Session: Two Men Flee Scene

A commotion occurred during a closed training session for the South Korean national football team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, after an unauthorized drone appeared over the pitch.

Thanks to the swift actions of on-site security personnel, the training concluded normally without any tactical leaks.

On June 17, Hong's squad held a fully closed training session for approximately one hour and 30 minutes at the Chivas Valle Verde training facility in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico, in preparation for their second Group A match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Mexico.

The team, which had opened its training session to the media for about 15 minutes the previous day, restricted access to the facility with the match just two days away.

However, early in the session during the warm-up phase, an unauthorized drone appeared in the airspace above the training ground.

National team security staff spotted the drone, and Mexican military drone-jamming personnel stationed at the base camp emitted radio waves to force the device to the ground.

The team’s safety officer, along with local police and military personnel, moved toward the crash site to secure the drone.

However, two men suspected of operating the drone retrieved it and fled the scene.

The escape was captured on video by the national team's own film crew at the training ground.

The exact nationalities or identities of the individuals have not yet been confirmed.

A FIFA safety officer assigned to the team has requested an investigation by the Mexican police, and local authorities have launched an inquiry.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) has also reported the incident to FIFA and requested cooperation to prevent any recurrence.

As of now, there have been no updates from the police investigation or further feedback from FIFA.

A team official explained, "The situation was resolved during the warm-up phase before tactical training began, so there was no impact on the exposure of our tactics."

The official added, "At this moment, we cannot determine whether this was an attempt to scout our team, the work of foreign media, or simply an individual."

Following the incident, the team completed their training session as planned with all 28 players, including Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City) and Kim Tae-hyeon (Kashima), who have recovered from injuries, as well as two training partners.

South Korea is set to face Mexico in their second group stage match at Guadalajara Stadium on June 19 at 10:00 a.m.

Mexico currently leads Group A after a 2-0 victory over South Africa in their first match, while South Korea sits in second place following a 2-1 win against the Czech Republic.

The outcome of this upcoming match is expected to determine the top spot in the group.

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