Worst-ever result leads to elimination! South Korean football association angered, cancels airport pick-up and welcome ceremony for the first time in 24 years

As reported by several reputable South Korean media sources such as Yonhap on June 28, the Korea Football Association announced that the South Korean men's football team, having been knocked out of the World Cup, will come back home directly on the 30th. The association will not organize an airport welcome or any welcoming event.

The World Cup group stage has ended. South Korea's men's team, despite being drawn into a comparatively weaker group, could not qualify. They finished third in the group with one win, two losses, and three points.

After three days of anxious waiting, they were ultimately ranked 10th among the 12 third-place teams in the group stage, failing to reach the knockout rounds. With the World Cup expanded to 48 teams, South Korea's failure to make the top 32 marks the worst result in their World Cup history.

Following the World Cup elimination, head coach Hong Myung-bo will lead the South Korean national team back home via Incheon International Airport on the morning of the 30th. Accompanying him will be eight players: Jo Hyeon-woo, Kim Min-jae, Hwang In-beom, Hwang Hee-chan, Paik Seung-ho, Kim Moon-hwan, Lee Kang-in, and Seol Young-woo.

Captain Son Heung-min and other players will arrange their own separate travel schedules to return to South Korea in batches, with all expected to be back by July 1 at the latest.

The Korea Football Association has clearly stated: "No separate welcome ceremony will be held." This marks the first time in nearly 24 years—since the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup—that the South Korean men's national team has returned home from an overseas World Cup without an airport welcome ceremony.

Notably, even after the poor performance in 2014, the association still held a welcome ceremony. Clearly, this time the association is deeply disappointed—or even outraged—by the team's World Cup showing.

It is worth noting that in 2018, after being eliminated in the group stage, the South Korean team was pelted with eggs upon returning home. With an even worse result this time, they are likely to face even more hostile treatment from local fans.