"Heartbroken, just staring blankly at the sky..." Choi Hwi-young, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, also expressed deep despair, warning of major surgery: "Korean football has sunk into a swamp; we must start from the ground up."

*This content was translated by AI.

Choi Hwi-young (62), Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, conveyed his profound despair toward Hong Myung-bo's team and promised to prepare fundamental alternatives.

_NAME_0_ conveyed the news of Hong Myung-bo's team failing to reach the Round of 32 via his social media (SNS) on the 28th, stating, "The Round of 32 was a disappointment. We watched with bated breath, but the result was elimination from the group stage." He continued, "It is incredibly regrettable. I am so heartbroken I don't know what to do; I just stared blankly at the sky," expressing deep regret.

Under Hong Myung-bo's leadership, South Korea secured one victory against the Czech Republic in Group A of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North, Central America and the Caribbean, but suffered consecutive losses to Mexico and South Africa, finishing third in the group with one win and two losses (3 points, goal difference -1).

Under the tournament rules, which expanded the number of participating teams to 48, the top eight teams among the twelve third-placed teams from each group could advance to the Round of 32. However, only one of the scenarios South Korea had hoped for materialized, leaving them to pack their bags in 10th place overall.

_NAME_0_ sharply criticized, "Korean football has fallen into a swamp. Now we must compose ourselves and start from the ground up."

He added, "We need to determine where things began to go wrong, identify the root cause that held us back, and organize the numerous discussions we have had over the years to create fundamental alternatives," suggesting that a comprehensive overhaul of the entire Korean football system is necessary, going beyond the failure of this tournament alone.

Finally, _NAME_0_ stated, "Until the day when the hearts of the people come together again, the government will do everything it can," and added, "Although Korean football has stumbled, we will surely rise again. All national team players, thank you for your hard work."

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*This content was translated by AI.