Threats of murder have even emerged, putting the Hong Myung-bo team on high alert as they return to Korea... 160 police officers deployed at Incheon Airport

*This content was translated by AI.

As Coach Hong Myung-bo and the national team prepare to return to Korea, the police are strengthening security at Incheon International Airport to ensure the safety of the coach and players.

The Incheon National Police Agency announced on the 29th that it plans to deploy 160 officers from the riot squad and the airport police unit at Incheon Airport on the morning of the 30th, the day the national team is scheduled to return.

South Korea suffered a disappointing exit from the group stage at the 2026 FIFA CONCACAF World Cup. As a result, criticism against Coach Hong and the team has intensified. The Korea Football Association stated that the national team will enter the country without any separate farewell ceremony, return event, or media activities.

However, given the growing public criticism, the police plan to prepare for unexpected incidents. It is reported that online posts even included murder threats targeting Coach Hong.

This marks the first time since the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup that the national team has returned without any official events. During the 2014 Brazil World Cup, when Hong first took charge of the national team, a return ceremony was held. At that time, the team was eliminated in the group stage with a dismal record of one draw and two losses, and some fans threw pumpkin candy at the team at Incheon Airport, saying, "It's the people's heart."

Unpleasant incidents also occurred after the 2018 Russia World Cup. At that time, some fans threw eggs at Coach Shin Tae-yong and the team.

This time, the anger of football fans is greater than ever. To ensure the safety of Coach Hong and the team, the police have stepped up security. To secure the movement route of the team, the police plan to separate the paths of ordinary citizens and the team around the arrival hall and focus on maintaining order to prevent any harm to other arriving passengers.

Furthermore, the police have decided to take strict action against illegal acts such as throwing objects, assault, and obstruction of business. In addition, they plan to strengthen patrols inside and outside the airport to fully prevent unexpected incidents.

The number of returnees includes eight players, led by Coach Hong, along with Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), and Seol Young-woo (Crvena Zvezda). According to the football community, South Korea was still calculating its chances of advancing to the round of 32 until the last moment and could not secure return flights in advance. Some players, including Son Heung-min (LAFC), are expected to enter the country separately at a later date.

South Korea delivered a disappointing performance at the CONCACAF World Cup. In this tournament, they were drawn into Group A along with Mexico, Czechia, and South Africa. Although there were many assessments that they faced relatively manageable opponents immediately after the draw, the result was one win and two losses (three points), finishing third in Group A.

The start was promising. South Korea secured a 2-1 comeback victory against Czechia in the first group stage match. However, they lost 0-1 to host nation Mexico in the second match and were defeated 0-1 in the final match against South Africa.

In particular, the defeat against South Africa was fatal. South Korea could have advanced to the round of 32 as the second-place team in Group A with just a draw against South Africa. However, they failed to achieve even the minimum result and missed the opportunity to qualify for the round of 32 on their own.

In this tournament, not only the top two teams in each group but also the eight best-performing third-place teams among the 12 third-place teams advanced to the round of 32. However, South Korea finished only 10th in the third-place standings. Ultimately, out of 48 teams, they finished 34th overall, ending their World Cup journey.

This was the second World Cup failure for Coach Hong. He also led the South Korean national team at the 2014 Brazil World Cup but was eliminated in the group stage with one draw and two losses. Even in the CONCACAF World Cup, where he took charge again after 10 years, he could not avoid the same outcome.

As a result, Coach Hong Myung-bo held a press conference on the 29th in Mexico and announced his voluntary resignation. Although Coach Hong's contract was set to last until the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, scheduled for January next year, he stepped down before completing his contract term.

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*This content was translated by AI.