00:04Imagine returning home after representing your country only to be welcomed by boos.
00:09That's exactly what happened to South Korea's football team.
00:12As the players walked through Incheon Airport, angry fans jeered, demanded answers and security had to escort the squad through
00:19the terminal.
00:21So, what went so wrong?
00:22Coming into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, South Korea were considered one of Asia's biggest contenders.
00:27And after opening their campaign with a win over the Czech Republic, a place, the knockout stage looked well within
00:33reach.
00:33Then came the collapse.
00:35Back-to-back defeats to Mexico and South Africa ended their World Cup in the group stage.
00:40But one decision changed everything.
00:46In the must-win game against South Africa, head coach Hongming Bo left captain Son Heung-min on the bench.
00:53The move backfired. South Korea crashed out and within hours, Hong stepped down as head coach.
00:59But here's the thing.
01:00For many fans, the World Cup wasn't the beginning of the story.
01:03It was the breaking point.
01:06Hong's appointment in July 2024 had been controversial from day one.
01:11Fans questioned how he got the jobs.
01:13Critics accused the Korea Football Association of ignoring its own selection process.
01:17And months later, the country's sports ministry concluded that the federation had breached its own hiring procedures.
01:24So, when South Korea were knocked out, years of frustration came pouring out all at once.
01:29Petitions demanding Hong's removal spread rapidly.
01:32Restaurants reportedly put up no entry for Hongming Bo signs.
01:36Social media was flooded with criticism not just of the coach, but of the Korea Football Association itself.
01:42The backlash became so intense that it even reached the country's top leadership.
01:47President Lee Jae-myung publicly criticized the Football Federation and called for an investigation into what went wrong.
