Hong Myung-bo Bowed His Head: "The Path to Forgiveness Is the Growth and Development of the National Team"

"My choice may have caused disappointment, sorry"
"Aiming for Round of 16 or beyond in 2026 World Cup"

Hong Myung-bo (55), the head coach of the South Korean national football team, bowed his head on the 29th and apologized to Ulsan HD fans and K League fans, saying, "I am sorry for disappointing you with my decision."

At the inauguration press conference held at the Football Hall in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Coach Hong said, "The way to be forgiven by the fans is to achieve growth and development of the national team," adding, "I stand here with a sense of debt and responsibility."

He stated, "I have coached age-group national teams and gained administrative experience as the executive director of the Korea Football Association, learning how much a systematic youth system and talent scouting can contribute to Korean football," and added, "Afterwards, I returned to the field and experienced the importance of the K League. I will build a national team that grows together with the K League."

Hong Myung-bo, head coach of the South Korean national football team, is speaking about future plans and team management at the inauguration press conference held on the 29th at the Football Hall in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

The Korea Football Association officially appointed former Ulsan HD coach Hong Myung-bo as the next head coach of the national team on the 13th after a board resolution, following his nomination on the 7th. However, there has been strong criticism from fans regarding the selection process. Aware of this, Coach Hong expressed, "It would have been good to start with expectations, but starting amid concerns and criticism weighs heavily on my heart."

Regarding the management plan for the national team, he emphasized, "I will operate the team with the keywords respect, dialogue, responsibility, and dedication," and added, "I will create a horizontal relationship among players and staff, and between players themselves and staff themselves. Misunderstandings arise from a lack of communication, so we will communicate openly without hesitation."

Hong Myung-bo, head coach of the South Korean national football team, is bowing his head in greeting at the inauguration press conference held on the 29th at the Football Hall in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

Previously, Coach Hong led the national team ahead of the 2014 Brazil World Cup but experienced a bitter outcome with 1 draw and 2 losses in the finals. This was the only winless World Cup since the 1998 France World Cup.

When asked about the differences compared to 10 years ago, Hong said, "I failed 10 years ago. I also heard criticism about 'inmaek football,' meaning selecting only familiar players. I admit that."

He explained, "At that time, we only selected fragmented players from the K League, so we did not know players who truly played roles in their teams and could dedicate themselves to the team even without big names," adding, "Now, having been in the K League for three and a half years, I have a list of key players from each team as well as their potential replacements." He continued, "Having the names of players who will dedicate themselves to the team and change the game in my mind is a very big difference from 10 years ago."

Regarding the goal for the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, he mentioned aiming for a performance beyond the round of 16. Coach Hong said, "It is a bit early to discuss World Cup results before starting the final qualifiers," but added, "The best result for the Korean national team in an away World Cup was the round of 16, and I will strive to achieve a better result than the round of 16."

About the football style he pursues, he expressed his conviction, saying, "It is important that we control the game by possessing the ball. To achieve this, I will prepare plans and strategies."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.