Threats, Bans, And More: South Korea's Early Exit From The World Cup Sparks Anger Among Fans

XtraTime Newsdesk: The South Korean football team has created quite a stir in their nation after getting knocked out of the World Cup. There has been widespread anger over coach Hong Myung-bo’s failed campaign as the team failed to qualify for the knockout stages. This result has led to players getting death threats, viral restaurant bans and renewed calls for sweeping changes inside the country’s football establishment.

Due to these so called "threats", the team is set to be greeted on arrival by heightened police security rather than the usual airport welcome ceremony. Hong and eight players, including Kim Min-jae, Hwang Hee-chan, Hwang In-beom and Lee Kang-in, were due to arrive at Incheon International Airport on Tuesday morning after leaving Mexico, while the country’s most famous football star Son Heung-min and several others were expected to return separately.

The Korea Football Association said there would be “no separate homecoming event”, according to Yonhap, making it the first time South Korea has returned from an overseas World Cup without a formal airport reception.

This decision has been taken after fans got furious at the team's performance at the World Cup with the police still investigating a threat made by a "fan" who posted that he would "kill" Hong at the Incheon airport. The writer claimed to be a 41-year-old US national, according to Korea Daily, while police were preparing to respond to possible disturbances at the airport and considering whether to apply criminal intimidation charges.

The anger has also shifted from social media to everyday places. Restaurants, cafes, pubs, convenience stores, and other places have already posted signs banning the head coach from entering their establishment. 

A restaurant owner said that he put up a sign as he too was disappointed by the result and blamed the coach for this performance. The restaurant owner also said that he put up a sign banning the coach partly as a joke so that his customers can get a laugh.

While the restaurant owner's signs were tame, other images circulating online are more overtly critical,  including a meme mocking Hong's tactics and a message asking players to disperse in different directions once they arrive at the airport.

The KFA's attempts to avoid public reception have been particularly symbolic in South Korea. Hong's last World Cup stint as national team coach ended in 2014 when angry fans threw Korean sticky candy at him, which was also used to insult the team after they were eliminated in the group stage in Brazil.

South Korea entered the North American World Cup with a star-studded team led by Son, Lee and Bayern Munich defender Kim. However, after their first victory against the Czech Republic, Korea's campaign stalled after defeats in Mexico and South Africa.