Hong Myung-bo Is No Longer South Korea's National Team Head Coach: How the Coaching Structure Changed After the World Cup Group-Stage Exit
As of 2026-09-05, Hong Myung-bo is no longer the head coach of South Korea's men's national football team. After South Korea finished 3 in its group with 1 win and 2 losses at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America and was eliminated in the group stage, Hong announced his intention to resign on June 29 Korea time. The Korea Football Association subsequently announced on September 1 that Roberto Moreno had been appointed interim head coach of the men's national team.
Therefore, the first distinction to make when searching for 'Hong Myung-bo' today is that the national team's coaching structure during the World Cup is different from its current leadership. Assuming that Hong continued to lead the national team after the World Cup does not reflect the current situation.
When Did Hong Myung-bo Step Down as National Team Head Coach?
Hong Myung-bo announced his intention to step down as national team head coach on 2026-06-29 Korea time. The announcement came after South Korea's elimination from the group stage of the 2026 World Cup in North America had been confirmed.
South Korea competed against Mexico, South Africa, and the Czech Republic in Group A at this World Cup. According to the tournament results published by FIFA, South Korea recorded 1 win and 2 losses in the group stage, finishing 3 in Group A.
The Korea Football Association's national team match records also confirm defeats against Mexico by 0–1 and South Africa by 0–1. South Korea ultimately failed to advance beyond the group stage, and Hong announced his intention to relinquish his position immediately after the tournament ended for the team.
Hong Myung-bo took charge of the national team on July 2024. According to information released by FIFA when reporting his resignation, his contract was scheduled to run through the 2027 Asian Cup, but his tenure ended earlier than planned.
In other words, he did not remain in charge until his contract expired. Instead, he resigned immediately after South Korea's World Cup group-stage elimination.
How Were the 2026 World Cup Results Connected to His Resignation?
The officially verifiable facts are clear. South Korea recorded 1 win and 2 losses in the World Cup group stage, finishing 3 in Group A and being eliminated. Hong Myung-bo subsequently announced his resignation as national team head coach.
In his resignation announcement, Hong himself apologized for the team's World Cup performance and expressed his intention to step down as head coach.
One important point is that the various assessments and controversies surrounding his resignation should not all be treated as a single definitive 'cause.' Although debates over the management of the national team had continued since before the World Cup, the key facts directly verifiable in connection with the 2026-06-29 resignation announcement are the team's group-stage elimination and Hong's own announcement that he would step down.
Whether other controversies discussed online were also direct causes of his resignation requires separate verification.
Who Took Charge of the National Team After Hong Myung-bo?
The Korea Football Association announced on 2026-09-01 that Roberto Moreno had been appointed interim head coach of the men's national football team. Therefore, to understand South Korea's latest coaching structure as of September 5, the relevant reference point is Moreno's interim leadership rather than Hong Myung-bo's tenure.
Following Hong's resignation, the Korea Football Association announced on July 30 that it had begun an open recruitment process for an interim men's national team head coach. It subsequently posted the official announcement of Moreno's appointment as interim head coach on September 1.
The sequence of events makes the transition clear.
June 2026: Elimination from the North American World Cup group stage
2026-06-29: Hong Myung-bo announces his resignation
2026-07-30: The Korea Football Association begins open recruitment for an interim head coach
2026-09-01: Roberto Moreno's appointment as interim head coach is announced
As of 2026-09-05: The national team operates under an interim coaching structure rather than Hong Myung-bo's leadership
In roughly two months, the coach who led South Korea at the World Cup departed, and a new interim coaching structure was established.
Why Should You Be Careful with Outdated Information Listing Hong Myung-bo as the Current Head Coach?
When checking information about the national football team, it is important to consider both the publication date of an article and the date of the match it discusses. Documents about international matches in 2025 or the 2026 World Cup under Hong Myung-bo were accurate for their respective periods, but they cannot be used unchanged to describe the national team's head coach as of September 2026.
Search results may include older articles about national team squad announcements, World Cup qualifiers, and friendly matches. The appearance of the phrase 'Hong Myung-bo's team' in a headline does not mean that he still leads the current national team.
The quickest way to verify the current situation is to check when a document was published. Information from before 2026-06-29 and information from after September refer to different coaching structures, so treating them as if they describe the same period can easily cause confusion.
The same approach should be used when checking player selections and match schedules, not just the head coach. Players and club affiliations displayed on historical match pages do not necessarily represent the latest national team squad.
How Far Did the Actual World Cup Results Fall Short of the Original Goal?
The Korea Football Association's business plan for 2026 set a target for the men's national team of 'reaching at least the round of 8' at the World Cup in North America. In the actual tournament, South Korea finished 3 in Group A and was eliminated in the group stage.
Comparing the planned target with the actual result reveals a substantial gap. The objective was to advance beyond the group stage, progress through the knockout rounds, and reach the round of 8. Instead, South Korea's tournament ended before the knockout stage began.
However, the fact that the team 'failed to meet its target' is separate from determining how much individual tactical decisions, player selections, or the association's administration contributed to the outcome. Official match results alone cannot establish one definitive cause.
This is why it is important to distinguish verifiable results from interpretations of the team's performance.
What Should Readers Distinguish When Following Future News About Hong Myung-bo?
The most important distinction now is between the 'former national team head coach' and the 'current national team coaching structure.' Articles about Hong Myung-bo published after September 2026 would be inaccurate in their timing if they treated him as the current head coach of South Korea's national team.
To avoid confusion when reviewing information about Hong, it helps to consider three dates together: July 2024, when he took charge of the national team; 2026-06-29, when he announced his resignation; and 2026-09-01, when the Korea Football Association announced the appointment of a new interim head coach.
These three reference points make it easier to determine whether the phrase 'Hong Myung-bo's team' refers to the current national team or describes an earlier period.
Any future coaching activities or new affiliations involving Hong Myung-bo should be checked separately when officially confirmed announcements become available. As of 2026-09-05, the key verified change concerning the national team is that Hong's tenure has ended and the Korea Football Association has transitioned to an interim coaching structure under Moreno.
The Most Common Points of Confusion About Hong Myung-bo and the National Team
The date Hong Myung-bo stepped down from the national team was not the same as the date of South Korea's final World Cup match. After the team's group-stage elimination was confirmed, Hong separately announced his intention to resign on June 29 Korea time.
There was also a time gap between the 'resignation announcement' and the 'appointment of a new head coach.' A new permanent head coach was not announced immediately after Hong stepped down. Instead, the Korea Football Association subsequently conducted an open recruitment process for an interim head coach and announced Moreno's interim appointment on September 1.
Therefore, the most accurate way to describe the national team's current situation in a single sentence is as follows.
Hong Myung-bo's tenure as South Korea's national team head coach ended following the team's group-stage elimination from the 2026 World Cup in North America, and as of 2026-09-05, the national team has transitioned to the coaching structure established after Roberto Moreno's appointment as interim head coach.