SEOUL, June 29 -- The convenience store posted the sign the same day South Korea lost to South Africa. "Hong Myung-bo Is Not Allowed Entry." Within hours, the image had spread to every major Korean online community. By the next morning, the signs were appearing on restaurant doors across the country. By Sunday, the coach himself was gone.

Hong Myung-bo resigned as South Korea's national football team manager less than 24 hours after the squad's elimination from the 2026 World Cup, ending a tenure that had begun with cautious optimism and closed with something much uglier. The team won its opening group match against the Czech Republic, then lost back-to-back games to South Africa and Mexico, finishing bottom of Group A and exiting a tour...