South Korea’s president, Lee Jae Myung, calls for a government investigation into the national team’s World Cup group-stage exit. After the team’s early elimination, Lee says he is “utterly baffled” by the results and argues that the process used to select head coach Hong Myung-bo did not prioritize competence. Multiple outlets report that Lee’s criticism targets the Korea Football Association’s (KFA) appointment of Hong, with some accounts describing the hiring process as favoring “favoritism and cronyism.” Lee directs the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to investigate what went wrong, analyze the causes of the performance and administration decisions, and propose reforms to prevent a recurrence. Hong Myung-bo resigns as coach following the exit. In a statement, Hong says stepping down was a decision made after taking responsibility for the role, and that he focused on being accountable until the end. The president also references the use of public funds to support the team’s participation and involvement, and he apologizes to the public for the disappointment caused.