Hong Myung-bo walks out hands in pockets after resignation statement, drawing criticism

South Korea national team head coach Hong Myung-bo, 57, announced his resignation Monday amid the fallout from the team's poor showing at the World Cup — but the manner in which he delivered his statement has itself stoked controversy. Hong read from a prepared statement for about a minute and a half without taking any questions, then walked out. His demeanor throughout drew criticism, including thrusting his hands into his pockets as he left.

Hong held a press conference Monday morning (Korean Standard Time) at the Chivas Valle Verde training facility in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico, where he read a prepared statement announcing his resignation.

"I sincerely apologize to the people of Korea," Hong said. "I am stepping down as head coach of the national team."

He said the decision had not been an easy one. "From the moment I took on the role, I thought of nothing else. For the past two years, I always asked myself: 'Is this choice the right one for Korean football?'"

"I cannot say every decision I made was correct," Hong said. "But the standard behind every decision I made was always Korean football."

"I was unable to deliver the results the Korean people hoped for at this World Cup. That responsibility rests entirely with me as the coach," he said. "I am stepping down from the helm, but I have not given up on Korean football. I sincerely hope our national team will grow into a side that once again earns the trust and love of the Korean people."

After reading the roughly 90-second statement without taking questions, Hong left immediately.

Cameras captured him walking out with his hands thrust into his trouser pockets.

Online, criticism of the way Hong handled his resignation has been swift and widespread.

Sports broadcaster Park Jong-yun said on the YouTube channel Estar TV that the event "was not a press conference — it was a statement reading," adding that "the wording, his expression, and the way it was delivered were all deeply shocking."

Football commentator Lee Ju-heon was equally critical. "He just read straight through a prepared statement and casually said 'I resign' — watching that, I felt disrespected," Lee said.

Park offered a possible explanation for Hong's demeanor. "From Hong's perspective, he took on the national team again for the sake of Korean football, and now he's being bombarded with criticism over the results — this moment must feel deeply humiliating to him," Park said. "If what he's feeling is not remorse for failing to lead the national team well, but rather humiliation so intense he can barely stop himself from storming out — then the statement, the tone, the whole delivery all make sense."

Online commenters were less charitable. "Look at him walking out with his head held high after wrecking Korean football," one wrote. Others said: "A press conference means standing before the public — what kind of behavior is it to walk out with your hands in your pockets?" and "It seems like he doesn't feel he did anything wrong at all." One commenter summed up the mood: "A total one-way announcement. It feels like we got dumped, not like we let him go."

Under Hong, the national team finished the 2026 North America World Cup group stage with one win and two losses, placing third in their group and 34th among the 48 participating nations. The team failed to advance to the round of 32, ending a 40-year streak of reaching that stage dating back to the 1986 World Cup.

The team drew particular criticism for a listless performance in their final group-stage match against South Africa, where they were overly passive in attack — a display that sparked widespread talk of an embarrassing showing.