South Korea fans demand Hong Myung-bo sacked after Son omission

petition demands – South Korea’s World Cup campaign has turned into an anxious wait after a 1-0 defeat to South Africa at which point captain Son Heung-min was dropped from the starting line-up for the first time in his career. A petition calling for head coach Hong Myung-bo to

The fists went up long before anyone could talk about the standings. In South Africa, South Korea didn’t just lose 1-0 to Group A’s “underdogs” — they lost it in a way that left their fans feeling robbed of the game they expected to control.

They dominated possession but failed to create clear-cut chances in a match described as far from eye-catching. In that muted night. their rare moments came at a premium: an Oh Hyeon-gyu header and an early Lee Kang-in strike were among their few sparks. The result left South Korea’s World Cup future hanging in the balance. their campaign now shaped by what happens next and whether results go their way to book one of the eight third-place spots.

The anger, though, didn’t begin with the final whistle. It started before kickoff. when captain Son Heung-min was dropped from the starting line-up for the first time in his former Tottenham player’s career. And for a team that had already struggled to make convincing impact — even after a 1-0 victory over the Czech Republic in their opening match — the move felt like a gamble that quickly backfired.

South Korea had not found the net in their earlier defeat to Mexico and, in that game, they also failed to record a shot. Against South Africa, they controlled the ball, but they couldn’t deliver the cutting edge that would have made the decision to leave Son out of the starting XI look sound.

With the group scenario suddenly razor-thin. the context for fans became brutal: South Korea only needed to avoid defeat against South Africa to guarantee second place in the table. Instead. their destiny has tightened into an anxious squeeze — they now sit sixth in the standings and could still squeeze into the Round of 32. but what comes next matters.

That tension has fueled a campaign aimed directly at the man in charge. A petition launched in the wake of the defeat calls for Hong Myung-bo to be sacked. It brands South Korea’s performance as “lifeless” and “one of the worst displays by a Korean team” in World Cup history.

The petition also argues the problem runs deeper than tactics. It claims Hong’s appointment was tainted by procedural flaws from the outset. calling it “fundamentally illegitimate.” The petition says: “The Korea Football Association’s official selection process was effectively ignored. making it difficult to avoid criticism that the appointment was fundamentally illegitimate.”.

It continues that despite fielding what “many considered the strongest squad in Korea’s World Cup history,” the team finished with one win and two losses, placing third in the group. Beyond Hong’s removal, it urges sweeping reforms to the governance of the Korea Football Association (KFA).

After the match, the reaction in the post-game press room turned sharply dark. Journalists described South Korea’s performance as “dismal. ” while another suggestion floated the idea of “mass food poisoning within the squad.” Hong’s decision-making. in the words used around the aftermath. was labelled a “failure.”.

Hong, for his part, accepted responsibility immediately. In the post-match setting, he took “full responsibility” for the defeat.

“In terms of the process and preparing for this game, and how we would play on the field, that is something I put much thought into,” Hong said. “Of course, if we knew what the result was going to be, I probably would have made different choices.”

But he didn’t try to pass the blame. “But I had a strategy in mind,” he added. “Whenever such a bad result happens, everyone has their own opinion. The result is really the responsibility of the head coach. Ultimately, it comes down to my hands.”

He then distilled it further: “I guess I made the wrong decisions and that was the reason we had a bad result. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Central to that debate is exactly what Hong did with Son. When asked about the exclusion. Hong argued that he believed Son would be most ruthless against a tiring South African side. Yet Son was brought on at the start of the second half. right after both teams benefited from a break. and he had little impact on the game.

Hong’s explanation was specific about timing. “We thought that Son would be better placed (to make an impact) when the opponents were losing their energy. not when they had a lot of energy. ” he said. “And when there were more spaces to exploit between the opponents’ defensive line. that’s when we wanted Son to be at his strongest – when the opponents were a bit weaker.”.

The tactical logic didn’t soften the reaction — it intensified it. Fans had watched South Korea’s early chances stay thin. with only a tame Oh Hyeon-gyu header and an early Lee Kang-in strike standing out as proof of intent. In that atmosphere. the decision to bench Son before kickoff became not just a football question. but a question of judgment that fans believe Hong gambled too recklessly with.

South Korea can still qualify, but the situation is no longer in their control. They are currently sixth in the standings and, if the tournament plays out in their favour, they could still reach the Round of 32. Their next test comes against Mo Salah’s Egypt side.

Even so, the pressure on Hong is not waiting for the next match to land. South Korean football media are predicting that his fate could already be sealed, regardless of how the third-place standings work out.

What started as a single omission — Son Heung-min dropped from the starting line-up for the first time in his career — has now turned into a full-scale crisis of confidence. For South Korea, it’s not just about whether they stay alive in the World Cup. It’s about whether the team can stop the momentum of the backlash long enough to survive the round that comes next.

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