"A defender who truly lived ahead of his time": Colleagues recall Hong Myung-bo's playing days ... From 21-year-old youngest sweeper to 57-year-old coach, "He will play in the 7th World Cup" [Special Report]

*This content was translated by AI.

The person who has forged the deepest and longest-lasting bond with the World Cup in the history of South Korean football is none other than Hong Myung-bo (57), the national team coach. He first stepped onto the World Cup stage in 1990 as a 21-year-old rookie. Since then, he has experienced the World Cup four times as a player, once as a coach, and once as a head coach, directly witnessing the glory and trials of South Korean football.

Having already tasted the bitterness of the World Cup once as a head coach, Coach Hong Myung-bo now stands on the brink of a second challenge. Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, we look back on his "World Cup chronicle" spanning over 30 years as he prepares to step onto the World Cup stage for the seventh time.

Hong Myung-bo's first encounter with the World Cup was at the 1990 tournament in Italy. Selected for the national team as an alternative due to an injury to starting sweeper Jo Min-guk, he made his debut in a friendly match against Norway in February 1990, about four months before the tournament. Thereafter, under the favor of coach Lee Hoe-taek, he was given the opportunity to start in all matches of the Italy World Cup.

At that time, South Korea was placed in Group E of the group stage, facing strong European and South American teams consecutively. Although South Korea suffered three consecutive losses against Belgium (0-2), Spain (1-3), and Uruguay (0-1), finishing with zero points and ranking 22nd out of 24 teams, Hong Myung-bo, along with his friend Hwang Sun-hong, firmly stamped his status as a player who would represent the national team for the next decade despite the disappointing results.

The 1994 USA World Cup was the stage that widely introduced the name Hong Myung-bo to the world. In the group stage opener against Spain, while trailing 0-2, he scored a free-kick goal in pursuit. Following that, after exchanging a 2-on-1 pass with Hwang Sun-hong, he delivered a sharp pass to Seo Jung-won, leading to a dramatic 2-2 draw.

In the second match against Germany, he suffered three goals conceded in the first half, causing instability in defense. However, Hong Myung-bo succeeded with a picturesque long-range shot in the second half. This goal was recorded as the longest-distance goal of the tournament. With this, he became the first player from South Korea to score multiple goals in a single World Cup finals tournament.

Kwon Dong-won, who played alongside Hong Myung-bo on the national team at the time and is now the coach of Gimpo FC, recalled Hong Myung-bo as "a smart defender ahead of his time." Coach Kwon told StarNews, "Even though Hong Myung-bo was not a senior player at the time, he had leadership and was a player who kicked the ball very intelligently. If Hong Myung-bo were playing in today's era, he would have shown exceptional skills in building up play from the back."

South Korea showed good form during the 1998 France World Cup qualifiers but performed poorly in the actual finals. Hong Myung-bo played as the center of a three-man defense, but after losing 1-3 to Mexico in the first group stage match and suffering a heavy 0-5 defeat against the Netherlands, he could not escape criticism for defensive failures.

The overwhelming defeat against the Netherlands led to the unprecedented internal turmoil of coach Cha Bum-kun being dismissed mid-tournament. However, Hong Myung-bo displayed a desperate and tenacious defense in the final match against Belgium, contributing to a 1-1 draw.

Lee Sang-yoon, who played as a wing forward at the time and is now a commentator, remembered his friend Hong Myung-bo as "a leader who possessed both charisma and intelligence." He recalled, "There were senior players at the time, but Hong Myung-bo led the juniors well with his unique charisma. At the same time, he got along well with his teammates." He continued, "He was not a player with exceptional speed, but he defended so intelligently that he covered his weaknesses. Especially from his position as the deepest sweeper, his long passes and kicks to the flanks were so excellent that our chemistry was very good."

Under coach Guus Hiddink, Coach Hong Myung-bo faced the trial of being excluded from the Han Dong-an (CEO) team but was eventually recognized for his value as a leader, wearing the captain's armband to lead the 2002 World Cup. In the finals, Hong Myung-bo, along with Choi Jin-cheol and Kim Tae-young, built the best three-man defense line in history.

They held Portugal in the third group stage match and Spain in the quarterfinals to a scoreless draw, and conceded only one goal each in the round of 16 against Italy and the quarterfinals against Germany, showcasing an ironclad defense against four world-class powerhouses. In particular, the scene where he stepped up as the final penalty kicker in the shootout against Spain to secure victory is still remembered as one of the greatest moments in South Korean football history.

Although he did provide the opportunity for the shortest-time goal conceded by losing possession just 11 seconds into the start of the third-place match against Turkey, he concluded the tournament brilliantly by becoming the first Asian to receive the World Cup "Bronze Ball."

The glorious World Cup memories from his playing days cooled down when he took on the role of head coach at the 2014 Brazil World Cup. Although he took charge of the A national team with high expectations after leading the team to a bronze medal miracle at the 2012 London Olympics, the wall of the World Cup finals was high.

At that time, South Korea was placed in Group H along with Russia, Algeria, and Belgium. They raised hopes with a 1-1 draw against Russia in the first match, but suffered a crushing 2-4 defeat against Algeria, whom they had considered an easy opponent, in the second match due to a major defensive collapse. They also lost 0-1 to Belgium in the final match. Ultimately, Hong Myung-bo concluded the tournament with a meager record of one draw and two losses in the group stage, burdened by a short preparation period and numerous pressures. The Brazil World Cup was a trial stage that left him with a painful lesson as a coach.

Now, Coach Hong Myung-bo is nearing the final stages of his preparation for the North American World Cup. From the greatest World Cup glory experienced as a player to the painful failure endured as a head coach. Knowing the extreme pressure the World Cup brings better than anyone, fans are watching closely to see what narrative he will write in this World Cup.

Regarding the somewhat negative public opinion surrounding the Choi Geun (CEO) team, Coach Kwon Dong-won left a sincere message as a senior in the football community. He said, "As for the public opinion, since he became a coach by his own choice, it is his responsibility to bear," but added, "For now, the priority is to encourage and support the players to unite firmly rather than to slander. It is not too late to hold them accountable for the results after the tournament ends," urging fans' support.

Lee Sang-yoon called for encouragement toward the Wi Won-do (CEO) team. "It is true that public opinion is currently not good and expectations for the national team have dropped significantly, but it is time to bring the atmosphere together by demonstrating Hong Myung-bo's unique communication skills and leadership, just as he successfully overcame crises during his playing days," he emphasized. He also conveyed, "I sincerely hope that through this World Cup, the past criticisms will be dispelled and the status of South Korean football will be raised once again."

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*This content was translated by AI.