Former coach Hong Myung-bo arrives in LA as National Assembly eyes KFA hearing

Hong Myung-bo, the former South Korea national football team head coach who stepped down after the team failed to advance to the round of 32 at the 2026 North America World Cup, arrived in Los Angeles on Wednesday (local time).

An aviation industry source told Yonhap News Agency that Hong exited through the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport that afternoon.

Hong was not seen coming through the general arrivals corridor, raising the possibility that he used a separate passage. The airport's VIP lane is available to anyone for a fee.

Hong left for the United States just two days after returning to South Korea.

According to MBC, Hong flew out of Incheon International Airport bound for Los Angeles. Before passing through the departure gate, he told MBC reporters at the airport, "I have things to say, and I think they will come out properly at some point."

Amid the national team's poor showing at the tournament, the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee appears set to pursue a hearing targeting the Korea Football Association.

The committee is looking to summon Korea Football Association President Chung Mong-gyu and Hong as witnesses to examine whether there were problems in the coaching appointment process and the association's overall management.

A Democratic Party of Korea official on the committee told Yonhap by phone that a hearing was highly likely. "This is a matter of wide public interest and an immediate issue we must address, so there is a strong possibility a hearing will go ahead," the official said.

If a hearing is held, it is expected to focus heavily on the appointment processes for former head coaches Jurgen Klinsmann and Hong, as well as allegations of backroom dealings within the association.

South Korea had sought to reach the round of 16 at an away World Cup for two consecutive tournaments, following the 2022 Qatar edition, but finished third in Group A with one win and two losses — three points — at this North America World Cup.

The team was then eliminated after finishing 10th among the 12 third-place group finishers, missing out on the round of 32.

With the tournament expanded to 48 nations, South Korea finished 34th overall — the lowest ranking the country has ever recorded at a World Cup.

After their final group-stage match against South Africa at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, on June 25, the squad waited at their base camp in Guadalajara for results from other groups, but their elimination was confirmed and they returned home.