*This content was translated by AI.
Hong Myung-bo, the national team coach, left the airport as if fleeing. Jeong Mong-gyu, the Han Chuk-gu-hyeop (Chairman), quietly appeared at the arrival hall after the team had departed. Coincidentally, this was a sad final sight of Korean soccer leaders who had both declared their resignations in succession.
The Hong Myung-bo team, which suffered a miserable failure at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, returned to Korea early on the morning of the 30th through Incheon International Airport Terminal 2. Until the last moment, everyone found it difficult to return at once while calculating the scenarios for advancing to the Round of 32, so eventually, Coach Hong Myung-bo and the 9Myeong Ui (CEO) team players stepped on Korean soil first. Park Hang-seo, head of the World Cup support team and vice president of the Korea Football Association, and other national team staff also returned to Korea on this day.
The expected arrival time of the flight carrying the national team was 4 a.m., but the actual arrival time was even earlier at 3:13 a.m. It was even reported in advance that there would be no media event and that over 100 police officers would be deployed in preparation for any contingency. However, the anger of soccer fans toward Coach Hong Myung-bo and the Korea Football Association ultimately led them to make their early morning journey to Incheon Airport. Even at dawn, as many as 300 fans and reporters gathered at the airport. Many YouTubers who turned on live broadcasts were also visible, and sharp critical banners were placed throughout the area.
Control was strictly enforced from the arrival hall to the national team bus parked outside. It was so severe that even general passengers had to return to the basement or second floor just to cross the path leading from the arrival hall to the bus. An increasingly tense atmosphere formed as slogans using profanity, starting with "Hong Myung-bo out," echoed through the airport even before the Yeo Gi-e (CEO) team appeared at the arrival hall.
At 3:51 a.m., the shouts of some fans mixed with the sound of reporters' camera shutters. Contrary to expectations that the national team players would appear first, followed by Park Hang-seo and Coach Hong Myung-bo, Park, the head of the Kim Seung-hui (EVP) board, Cho Hyun-woo (Ulsan HD), and then Coach Hong Myung-bo lined up to appear at the arrival hall. While Park Hang-seo and others appeared at the arrival hall with their own luggage, Coach Hong Myung-bo appeared without any personal luggage, surrounded by security personnel. Security personnel were also seen holding umbrellas in preparation for possible thrown objects.
Various slogans from fans who came to the scene, including "Hong Myung-bo out," along with various profanities and shouts, echoed through the area. However, Coach Hong Myung-bo showed no particular reaction. With a stern expression, he stared straight ahead and headed toward the exit. Although the press corps followed Coach Hong Myung-bo and asked numerous questions, the coach never opened his mouth. Even if he had declared his intention to resign as the national team coach while in Mexico, and even if public opinion against the national team was so unfavorable, it was the first time since the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup that a coach who had finished the World Cup fled the airport without even an interview.
Moreover, the arrival scene on this day was the first time Coach Hong Myung-bo had appeared before domestic fans since announcing his resignation following the World Cup's poor performance and elimination. Nevertheless, he never bowed his head even once during the brief arrival scene. Having stepped down from his role as national team coach by reading a resignation statement of less than two minutes without taking questions from reporters in Mexico, and with his hands in his pockets as he exited after the resignation statement was released, he added to the already intense "attitude controversy" and brought yet another wave of disappointment.
The chaotic atmosphere, with fierce profanities and critical slogans from fans echoing even outside the airport, subsided as everyone dispersed in their own vehicles. However, even shortly after everyone had dispersed, the control line installed near the corridor was not dismantled for a long time. There was a reason. About 40 minutes after the team departed, when the airport atmosphere that had been stirred up by the Hong Myung-bo team's return began to calm down, only the arrival of Jeong Mong-gyu, the Han Chuk-gu-hyeop (Chairman), remained.
If Jeong (Chairman) had intentionally delayed his appearance at the arrival hall despite taking the same flight as Coach Hong Myung-bo and others, it would have been even more controversial. However, it was reported that there was an unavoidable time difference in appearing at the arrival hall because the Hong Myung-bo team and the flight were different. However, if the Hong Myung-bo team's performance had been good and there had been a "glorious return" event with a homecoming ceremony, it would be questionable whether Jeong (Chairman) would have used a different flight from the national team. The fact is that Jeong (Chairman) always tried to be at the center when the national team's performance was good or there were positive ISuga, but when the national team's performance was poor or various controversies surrounded the association, he always hid in the background.
Moreover, since Jeong Mong-gyu (Chairman) was at the center of the problems not only with the Hong Myung-bo team's failure to advance to the Round of 32 in the World Cup but also with the past appointment process of Coach Hong Myung-bo and even the entire Korean soccer administration, the fans' anger toward Jeong (Chairman), who appeared alone at the arrival hall on this day, reached its peak. Unlike during Coach Hong Myung-bo's arrival, during the arrival process of Jeong Mong-gyu (Chairman), a fan was eventually arrested by police for throwing "dog poop" toward Jeong Mong-gyu (Chairman).
As a result, not only Coach Hong Myung-bo on this day, but also Jeong Mong-gyu (Chairman), who appeared alone late, did not stand before the fans regarding this North American World Cup failure. Without a single word of apology or even a single bow of the head, they were only busy exiting the airport, leaving the angry fans behind. Coincidentally, Jeong Mong-gyu (Chairman) and Coach Hong Myung-bo had each declared their resignation from the position of Han Chuk-gu-hyeop (Chairman) and the national team coach, respectively. This was the final dignity shown by the "once" Korean soccer leaders, who were once the head of Korean soccer administration and the commander of the A national team, to the fans.
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*This content was translated by AI.
