South Korean police will deploy more than 100 officers at Incheon Airport on Tuesday for the return of the national soccer team and former head coach Hong Myung-bo, who was the target of a death threat posted online following the team’s group-stage elimination from the 2026 World Cup.
The Incheon Airport police division said it will station three mobile riot units from the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency alongside airport police personnel to manage crowds and maintain order. Hong and the team are scheduled to land at around 4 a.m. on Tuesday. The airport operator is separately assigning special security guards and staff to handle any disturbances.
The heightened security follows a post to an online community that read, “I will go to Incheon Airport on the day Hong returns and kill him.”
Police said the team did not request personal protection, but that they are considering adding officers depending on the conditions on the ground.
“We expect congestion during the arrival, and with the recent threats online, we plan to enforce security more strictly than usual,” an airport police official said. Officers will separate the players’ path from that of ordinary travelers and respond to any illegal acts such as thrown objects, assault or obstruction.
Hong and eight players, including Kim Min-jae of Bayern Munich, Hwang Hee-chan of Wolverhampton and Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain, arrive Tuesday morning, according to the Korea Football Association. Son Heung-min of Los Angeles FC and the remaining players will return separately on Wednesday.
No homecoming event is planned. After the team’s group-stage exit at the 2014 Brazil World Cup, also under Hong, one fan threw pieces of “yeot,” a traditional Korean taffy, at players during a welcome reception.
This year, South Korea finished 34th, its worst-ever World Cup result, failing to advance from the expanded 48-team tournament’s Round of 32 despite beating the Czech Republic in its opener. Hong announced his resignation Sunday at the team’s base camp in Zapopan, Mexico.
The team’s return comes amid wider scrutiny of soccer governance. Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Chae Hwi-young said the ministry will launch a special audit of the KFA, citing public questions over “the cause of Korean soccer’s devastating failure.”
In April, a Seoul court ruled that Hong’s appointment in 2024 had followed flawed procedures, a case the KFA has appealed. Police are separately investigating eight complaints related to the hiring.
mjh@heraldcorp.com
