As he begins his second tour of duty as head coach of the Korean men’s national football team, Hong Myung-bo asked for support from disgruntled fans Monday.
Hong traveled to Europe on Monday to interview candidates for assistant coaching positions on his backroom staff. He’s scheduled to make stops in Spain and Portugal in what could be a weeklong trip.
It will be his first official activity as the men’s national team boss since the Korea Football Assciation (KFA) announced Saturday its board of directors had approved Hong’s appointment.
The move finalized what had been an unpopular choice from the start. The KFA has been criticized for disregarding the proper vetting process before hiring Hong, while Hong 커뮤니티 himself has been under fire for reneging on an earlier pledge with supporters of his former K League 1 club, Ulsan HD FC, that he would not take the national team job and leave the club midseason.
Asked for thoughts on negative public opinion, Hong said his focus remains on the task at hand.
“The most important thing on my mind is how I can put together a strong national team,” Hong told reporters at Incheon International Airport, just west of Seoul. “I absolutely understand concerns from a lot of people. I see this as the final challenge of my life, and I would love to receive support from people.”
Hong first coached Korea in 2013 and 2014, and resigned after the Taegeuk Warriors were knocked out in the group stage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. After accepting the job for the second time last week, Hong said the opportunity to redeem himself following the disappointing World Cup fueled his competitive fire.