South Korea arrived back to jeering following their World Cup group stage exit.
Hong Myung-bo and several South Korean national team players arrived at Incheon Airport around 4 a.m. hoping to avoid protesters.
Hundreds of fans were already waiting, banging drums, chanting “Hong Myung-bo out!” and hurling insults at the national team coach.
The backlash against Hong shows no signs of slowing down.
South Korea's head coach Hong Myung-bo has officially resigned following the national team's disappointing group-stage exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung publicly slammed the performance as an "absurd" outcome.
Korean business owners are now putting up signs banning national team manager Hong Myung-bo from entering local businesses.
Public frustration over his failure at the World Cup has become so intense that the backlash is now spilling into everyday life.