INCHEON — Son Heung-min has finally spoken out. The South Korea captain issued a public apology to all fans after his country was eliminated in the 2026 World Cup group stage — a defeat that has now reached the president’s desk.
In an Instagram post, Son wrote that he did not know where to begin. “I can’t pretend nothing happened, and I don’t want to run away from reality,” he wrote. He stressed that his apology was directed to all South Koreans and the national team’s loyal supporters.
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The reality was painful. South Korea finished third in Group A with three points — one win, two losses. They beat Czechia 2-1 in the opening match, lost 0-1 to Mexico, and then fell 0-1 to South Africa in the decisive game. That final defeat shut the door on the round of 32.
Hong’s Decision That Sparked Anger
What upset fans most was not just the final result. The source of the anger was coach Hong Myung-bo’s decision to leave Son on the bench for the first half of the match against South Africa — the most crucial game of the tournament. Even a draw would likely have been enough to advance.
Song Min-kyung, a 20-year-old student who came to Incheon Airport, told AFP she was disappointed. “I was so shocked when he benched Son against South Africa. I think that was the beginning of everything that went wrong at this World Cup.”
Son did enter in the second half, but the one-goal deficit proved too much to overturn. The loss ended a campaign that South Korean media had already labeled as belonging to the “golden generation” — with Son alongside Bayern Munich’s Kim Min-jae and Paris Saint-Germain’s Lee Kang-in as its core pillars.
Hong Resigns, Fans Still Not Satisfied
Hong Myung-bo resigned on Sunday (6/29). The former national-team defender apologized at a news conference, saying responsibility rested on his shoulders. But the resignation was not enough to calm the anger.
When Hong walked out of the arrivals gate at Incheon International Airport early Tuesday, he was met with protest chants. The crowd shouted “Hong, you must resign!” while beating drums. A banner reading “South Korean football is dead” was displayed among those who had waited for hours.
Hong walked in silence, refusing to answer any questions from reporters. Police had to set up barriers from inside the terminal to the bus waiting outside, as dozens of protesters gathered in the area.
Kim Gi-mo, one fan who was there, was unimpressed by the coach’s resignation. “I question whether his resignation was sincere, looking at the way he announced it,” Kim told AFP. “He ruined a party that only comes once every four years.”
Now a Government Matter
This is no longer just a football drama. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung stepped in and called for a formal government investigation into the national team’s disappointing performance. According to Mashable, the president made the move on Sunday (6/29), a day after the elimination.
History repeated itself in painful fashion. In 2014, Hong was also South Korea’s coach when they exited in the group stage in Brazil — and fans then greeted the team home with candy being thrown at them.
The Korea Football Association (KFA) did not even hold an official welcome ceremony for the returning squad. Hong’s appointment in 2024 had already drawn criticism from the start, with many questioning the transparency of the selection process.
Son and an Unclear Future
The 2026 World Cup is likely Son’s last World Cup. He has appeared in four editions of the global tournament, and questions about retirement from the national team are hanging in the air — although in his post, Son did not directly address that topic.
What he did emphasize was his determination to fight again. “Rather than trying to express everything in words right now, I will do everything I can, from my position, to win back the hearts of the South Korean people and football fans,” he wrote. “I will fight with everything I have to bring you happiness again.”
While some fans at the airport applauded the players, Son’s words on Instagram reflected just how deep the wounds ran — for the captain himself, and for an entire nation that had dreamed of much more than a group-stage exit.
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