Head Coach Hong Myung-bo (right) [Yonhap News] 

In this North & Central American World Cup, Hong Myung-bo’s team defied both the bookmakers' and AI's predictions. Despite being touted as the strongest squad in history, featuring world-class players like Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in, and Kim Min-jae, the actual performances on the pitch were dismal, to say the least. 

Ultimately, the national team failed to advance to the Round of 32, leaving the public with nothing but disappointment.

However, the criticism facing Hong Myung-bo, the head coach of the national football team, is not solely due to the results of this tournament. We must not overlook the fact that the procedural controversies raised during his appointment process have led to the current state of distrust.

Process, not results, earns the public's trust 

At the time of the head coach's appointment for the World Cup, there was significant criticism within and outside the football community that it was a "predetermined" decision—a mere formality rather than the result of fair competition, thorough review, and consensus. From the very beginning of his tenure, Coach Hong started under a cloud of doubt regarding procedural legitimacy, and that distrust has not dissipated over time.

In the resignation press conference held after returning home following the exit from the Round of 32, Coach Hong stated, "I will take responsibility for the results." However, what the public wanted to hear was likely not just an apology for the defeat.

What should have come first was an analytical and cool-headed review of why the national team was forced to play such lifeless matches. The logical order would have been to explain why the team could not find its collective rhythm despite having world-class players, why strategies and tactics were invisible, and why there were issues with trust and communication between the coach and the players.

However, the core of the press conference was a message to the effect of, "The public wanted the result of a victory, and I am sorry for failing to produce that result." This misinterprets the public's wishes.

The standard of our football fans and the general public is by no means low. Even if the team had lost, if the players had fully demonstrated their capabilities and the coach had shown his best through meticulous strategies and tactics, the public would have sent them unconditional applause and support.

But what the public witnessed was different: allegations of discord between the coach and players, a lack of organic cooperation in the team’s operation, and tactics that lacked direction or vitality. The public was disappointed not because of the result—the defeat—but because of the process and content that led to that result.

Will the political sphere repeat the mistake of the "Hong Myung-bo style" apology?

This is precisely why democracy is great. Democracy is a system that values process over results.

Procedural legitimacy is not a mere formality. It is the foundation of trust that allows members of a community to accept results, and it is the force that binds society together. Even if the desired result is not achieved, if there is a belief that the process was fair, people—even those with differing opinions—will respect the outcome.

The recent incident involving a shortage of ballots during the election process can never be dismissed as a simple administrative error. It was an unforgivable act of damaging suffrage.

Some in the political sphere are quick to argue for the dissolution of the National Election Commission. However, we must not blindly eliminate an organization without any investigation into the truth. Dismantling agencies without verification is no different from the "Hong Myung-bo style" apology that failed to grasp what the public truly desired.

What matters is transparently revealing to the public why this situation occurred. If the matter is closed by simply passing the buck to a few working-level staff—the so-called "cutting off the tail"—public distrust will only grow deeper. Trust can only be restored when fact-finding, punishment of those responsible, and institutional reforms follow.

The intent to distort procedures always leads to tragic outcomes

Communism and totalitarianism put forth grand goals such as a "terrestrial paradise" or a "heaven for the people." However, the result of distorting procedures for the sake of a goal was devastating. Stalin’s Great Purge and Hitler’s Nazi dictatorship all began with the erosion of procedural legitimacy under the grand justifications of the "state" and the "people." Power that lost its adherence to procedure eventually turned into violence, and despite numerous sacrifices, the utopias they promised were never realized.

Conversely, liberal democracy limits power through procedure. By gaining the public's trust through fair competition, the rule of law, and transparent verification, the creativity and autonomy of the people are maximized. The competitiveness of the liberal democratic nations that lead the world today is ultimately based on this institutional trust.

This is where football and democracy share a common ground. 

What the public wants from football is not just a trophy of victory. They want matches played with maximum effort and content that is acceptable regardless of the result. Even if the team had lost, if the process had been excellent, the public would have enjoyed the game and sent them generous applause. 

The same applies to democracy. What the public wants in the current Election Commission crisis is not a quick, unexamined conclusion. It is to objectively reveal the truth through fair and transparent verification that the public can accept regarding the various suspicions raised around the commission and the circumstances that lead to doubts about fraudulent elections. The existence of the Election Commission is a secondary matter.

Both the shocking exit from the World Cup Round of 32 and the Election Commission’s infringement on suffrage can only become assets for growth, rather than repeating the same mistakes, when they undergo thorough verification and cold-headed review. We must not forget that the starting point for growth, whether in football or democracy, lies not in the visible result, but in the process that created it.

Results are the product of countless processes. That principle is an absolute rule for both democracy and football. 

◆ Min Byung-gon, Writer 

Political Documentary Writer 

Spokesperson for the People Power Party, South Chungcheong Province Chapter