India, June 29 -- A shellshocked South Korean president, Lee Jae Myung, slammed head coach Hong Myung-bo, blaming him for the Asian country's group-stage exit at the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup. South Korea were expected to reach the knockouts, but back-to-back defeats to Mexico and South Africa saw them crash out of the tournament.

On X, Lee criticised the South Korean Football Association's appointment of Myung-bo as head coach, calling it 'haphazard'.

"In the end, it's proven once again that personnel is everything. When favoritism and cronyism take precedence over competence in selecting a commander, the result is as predictable as fire burning paper," he wrote.

"The fact that such haphazard appointments-failing to distinguish publ...