The head coach of the South Korean national football team has resigned, days after President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered an investigation into the team’s performance at the World Cup. The move underscores the intense political pressure on public figures in a nation where sporting success is closely tied to national prestige.
Coach Paulo Bento, a Portuguese tactician who led the team to the round of 16 in Qatar, submitted his resignation to the Korea Football Association. He cited personal reasons, though sources close to the situation indicated that the presidential inquiry had created an untenable atmosphere.
The investigation was announced after South Korea’s 4-1 defeat to Brazil in the knockout stage. President Yoon described the loss as “humiliating” and called for a thorough review of team management, tactics, and player selection. His intervention, rare in global football, has drawn criticism from opposition politicians and fans who argue that it amounts to political meddling.
Bento’s resignation is the latest in a series of high-profile exits from South Korean public life amid growing scrutiny of institutional performance. The Korea Football Association has not yet named a replacement, and the team faces a series of Asian Cup qualifiers in March.
The episode raises questions about the balance between accountability and autonomy in state-funded institutions. South Korea’s World Cup campaign was its most successful in over a decade, and experts say the president’s reaction may have been disproportionate.
In a statement, the presidential office defended its decision, noting that taxpayer money funded the team’s preparations. “The public has a right to know what went wrong,” a spokesperson said.
