'My team leader is exactly like Hong Myung-bo': Workers' lament sparks wave of online sympathy

A post comparing a workplace manager's leadership style to that of a football coach has gone viral on an online community for office workers, drawing widespread sympathy.

The post, titled "My team leader is exactly like Hong Myung-bo," appeared on Remember, a professional networking community. The author, identified only as A, described how their team leader deliberately kept the team's most capable employee off important assignments.

"There's someone on our team who does great work, gets recognized for results, and other departments say they'd love to have that person on their projects," A wrote. "But our team leader in particular never puts that employee on important projects."

A added that when outside teams recommended the employee, the leader would assign someone else instead, and that good ideas the employee raised in meetings were brushed aside. "When a project didn't go well, the team leader actually seemed to look relieved," A claimed.

A said watching the national football team recently brought a sudden moment of clarity.

"It didn't feel like coach Hong Myung-bo had any personal animosity toward Son Heung-min — it felt more like he was locked in a power struggle with the people insisting Son was indispensable," A wrote. "I started to think our team leader doesn't dislike that employee either, but wants to disprove the people around him who say that person is essential."

"As a result, the most capable employee becomes a scapegoat, and the team leader keeps making choices that hurt the team — and himself — just to prove a point," A added.

Readers who came across the post responded with strong agreement.

"Reading this made me understand Hong Myung-bo's psychology," one commenter wrote. "It's a perspective I never considered, but it makes sense." Another said, "Our company's director is similar. It always looked like he was protecting his own position over the organization, but this post finally makes it click."

Another worker shared a personal experience, saying the best performer on their former team ultimately left the company. Even after that employee was gone, the manager seemed to treat it as a personal victory rather than a loss.

Other comments described similar patterns — a standout employee with strong cross-departmental relationships and a track record of results, only for the team leader to sulk when projects succeeded and declare "I told you so" when they failed. Several noted that the employee eventually moved to a competitor and thrived there, while the original company failed to hold on to the talent.

Meanwhile, South Korea finished the 2026 North America World Cup group stage with one win and two losses, failing to advance to the round of 32. In the final group match against South Africa — a game in which a draw would have been enough to advance — coach Hong left captain Son Heung-min out of the starting lineup and drew criticism throughout for passive game management.