South Korean Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi Young has called for a comprehensive reform of the country's football after the national team stopped right from the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.
Mr. Choi expressed regret that the South Korean team could not qualify for the round of 32.
The dream of reaching the round of 32 has shattered. I held my breath and watched every development with the hope that the team would slip through the narrow door, but in the end we still had to stop right from the group stage. It's really too bad. I am so heartbroken that I don't know what to do other than look up at the empty sky," Minister Choi shared.
Not only expressing disappointment with the professional results, Mr. Choi said that the failure at the 2026 World Cup reflects the systematic problems of Korean football.
Korean football is falling into a puddle. It's time for us to calmly look back and start over from scratch. We need to overcome the failure of this tournament to come up with fundamental solutions. Not only change in the short term but also reform the entire Korean football system," he emphasized.
The head of the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also affirmed that the Government will accompany the process of rebuilding national football, and at the same time sent thanks to the players for their efforts at the tournament.
The government will do everything possible to support until the hearts of the people are once again turned to football. South Korean football today has fallen, but will certainly rise up stronger," Minister Choi said.
At the 2026 World Cup, the South Korean team under the guidance of coach Hong Myung Bo opened with a victory over the Czech Republic, but then lost to Mexico and South Africa in turn. With 3 points after three matches, the team ranked third in Group A.
Although there is still a chance to compete for one of the eight slots for the third-placed teams with the best results according to the new format of the 2026 World Cup, South Korea is only ranked 10th out of 12 third-placed teams and officially eliminated right from the group stage.
After this disappointing result, the future of coach Hong Myung Bo and the plan to reform the Korean football operating apparatus are predicted to become the focus in the near future.
