South Korean football fans greet the national team’s returning World Cup squad at the airport with boos and chants directed at head coach Hong Myung-bo. Multiple outlets report that fans chant “Hong out!” as Hong arrives home after South Korea’s early exit from the tournament. The team is described as failing to reach the knockout stage, finishing the group stage with one win and two losses and not qualifying, despite expectations for a deeper run.
Channel NewsAsia and other reports say Hong makes his way out of the airport under jeers, while applause is directed at the players who follow behind him. One account notes Hong resigned on Sunday after the team’s elimination. Yahoo Sports adds that some fans hold signs and express anger in more emphatic terms.
The coverage also references captain Son Heung-min and the heightened expectations surrounding his potential final World Cup appearance, with disappointment focused on the team’s performance and the coaching after the group-stage failure.
