Hong Myung-bo never bowed his head... Fans who came to the airport vented their anger with insults and shouts [Incheon Airport Scene]

*This content was translated by AI.

Following their elimination in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North, Central America, and the Caribbean, Hong Myung-bo, the coach of the South Korean national football team who left under a cloud of disgrace, returned to the country first along with some players. Despite the early morning arrival, many fans showed up at the scene to express their anger, yet Coach Hong Myung-bo did not even bow his head to the fans and quickly exited the airport.

Coach Hong Myung-bo and nine national team players, including Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), and Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), returned to the country on the 30th through the second terminal of Incheon International Airport. The team was originally scheduled to return at 4 a.m., but they arrived earlier than planned, appearing at the arrivals hall around 3:50 a.m.

What greeted Coach Hong Myung-bo and the delegation was the 'anger' of fans. Despite the early hour and the fact that the flight details were not publicly disclosed, many fans had already gathered at the arrivals hall that day. Sharp criticism banners such as 'Korean football is dead' and 'Hong Myung-bo, spit out the money and leave' were visible. Fans created an angry atmosphere even before the national team's return by chanting various slogans like 'Hong Myung-bo, get out.'

Afterward, as the national team delegation appeared, led by Park Hang-seo, head of the World Cup support team and vice president of the Korea Football Association, the airport was filled with fans' shouts and insults. Coach Hong Myung-bo, who appeared third after Vice President Park Hang-seo and Cho Hyun-woo (Ulsan HD), was surrounded by a disproportionately large number of security personnel compared to Korea Football Association officials and others.

However, Coach Hong did not bow his head even once, despite the poor performance, results, and the fierce anger of fans, and quickly exited the airport. He remained silent in response to repeated questions from the full press corps. Although fans' anger extended to outside the airport, a large number of security personnel, including police, were deployed, and the routes of general fans and the national team were separated, preventing incidents such as the so-called 'egg-throwing' or physical clashes that occurred during the 2012 Brazil World Cup.

Moreover, Coach Hong had already sparked a 'controversy over attitude' by not even answering reporters' questions at the press conference in Mexico, reading out only a unilateral resignation statement, and being captured with his hands in his pockets as he exited after announcing his resignation. In this situation, Coach Hong Myung-bo did not even conduct an interview with reporters at the return scene, which was effectively his last official appearance, nor did he properly apologize to fans, consistently maintaining a non-responsive stance toward the tragic failure of the North, Central America, and Caribbean World Cup.

The delegation, including Coach Hong Myung-bo who returned that day, boarded the national team bus waiting outside the departure gate, waited there, and then transferred to their respective vehicles as they arrived, dispersing from the scene. Fans approached as far as the control lines set up near the national team bus, chanting slogans to mock or criticize Coach Hong Myung-bo. Coincidentally, Jeong Mong-gyu (Chairman) appeared quietly in the arrivals hall after all the players, including Coach Hong Myung-bo, had exited, but was forced to leave the airport as if being chased while facing the fierce anger of many fans. The World Cup national team players are scheduled to return to the country sequentially until July 1.

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*This content was translated by AI.