Tied for 2nd with 136 Appearances… Hong Myung-bo Profile: The Playing and Managerial Record of a 57-Year-Old Libero
The Hong Myung-bo profile is summarized as 136 A-matches, 16 World Cup finals matches, and a career World Cup managerial record of 1 win, 1 draw and 4 losses. It also covers his age as of September 2026, reports on his salary, and his current activities.
Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.
On June 28, 2026, Mexico local time, manager Hong Myung-bo said he would step down as national team manager. In Korean time, it was the 29th. It came right after South Korea finished third in Group A at the North America World Cup with 1 win and 2 losses and was eliminated. He went to the World Cup 4 times as a player and 2 times as a manager. That career has now come to a halt for the time being.
His story begins on February 12, 1969. As of September 2026, his age is 57. As a player, his position was libero (a last-line defender who guards behind the defensive line and also takes part in building attacks). He debuted with Pohang in 1992, and the K League Hall of Fame records that he became the first rookie to win the K League Most Valuable Player award that year. He later played in Japan for Bellmare Hiratsuka and Kashiwa Reysol. He returned to Pohang in 2002, then played for the LA Galaxy in the United States and retired in 2004.
Hong Myung-bo: Tied for 2nd with 136 A-matches, 16 World Cup Finals Matches
His career national team record is 136 matches and 10 goals. The Korea Football Association's tally as of July 1, 2026 has him tied for 2nd with Cha Bum-kun. He is 11 matches behind first-place Son Heung-min (147 matches). Cha has far more goals with 58, but their appearance totals are the same. He is 3 matches ahead of 4th-place Lee Woon-jae (133 matches) and 9 matches ahead of 5th-place Lee Young-pyo (127 matches).
All-time appearance ranking for the South Korea men's national team (Korea Football Association, as of 2026.07.01)
| Rank | Player | Appearances (matches) | Goals | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Son Heung-min | 147 | 56 | Records after the tally date are not reflected |
| Tied for 2 | Cha Bum-kun | 136 | 58 | Includes 6 matches and 2 goals in the 1976 Olympic qualifiers |
| Tied for 2 | Hong Myung-bo | 136 | 10 | Defender (libero) |
| 4 | Lee Woon-jae | 133 | — | Goalkeeper |
| 5 | Lee Young-pyo | 127 | 5 | — |
The ranking changes if you look only at World Cup finals. He played in four consecutive World Cups: 1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002. FIFA's 2025 data shows he was first among Korean players with 16 career finals matches. In the same data, Park Ji-sung had 14 matches and Lee Young-pyo had 12 matches. This research could not confirm the full ranking updated for the 2026 tournament.
Korean players' career World Cup finals appearances (FIFA, as of the 2025.01.01 release)
| Player | Finals appearances (matches) | Difference from Hong Myung-bo |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Myung-bo | 16 | — |
| Park Ji-sung | 14 | -2 |
| Lee Young-pyo | 12 | -4 |
Manager Hong Myung-bo's Record, from an Olympic Bronze Medal to 1 Win, 1 Draw and 4 Losses at the World Cup
In 2009, he took charge of the U-20 and Olympic national teams. Three years later, at the 2012 London Olympics, he won South Korean men's football's first Olympic bronze medal. Newsis and the league's Hall of Fame also carry the same record. The following year, in 2013, he became manager of the senior national team.
His first stint as senior national team manager was short. He finished the 2014 Brazil World Cup group stage with 1 draw and 2 losses and resigned on July 10 of that year. According to Yonhap News reporting at the time, his record in charge is reported as 19 matches, 5 wins, 4 draws and 10 losses. Some sources list the Brazil tournament record as '2 draws and 1 loss.' However, the 2014 reports from Sports Chosun and Newsis both agree on 1 draw and 2 losses.
He then served as manager of China's Hangzhou Greentown (2016~2017) and as executive director of the Korea Football Association (2017~2020). Things turned around when he became Ulsan's manager in 2021. Ulsan won the K League 1 in 2022, 17 years after 2005. They topped the table again in 2023, achieving the club's first back-to-back league titles. After the Olympics, he set another 'first' in the professional league.
He took over as national team manager again in July 2024, and with the 2026 tournament he became the first Korean manager to lead a team at two World Cups. In their first Group A match at the 2026 North America World Cup, South Korea beat the Czech Republic 2-1. They then lost 0-1 to both Mexico and South Africa and were eliminated in third place in the group. His combined career World Cup managerial record across the two tournaments is 1 win, 1 draw and 4 losses. The points earned from the 6 matches total 4 (3 points for a win + 1 point for a draw).
Hong Myung-bo's Coaching Career and Major Results
| Period | Team / Role | Major results |
|---|---|---|
| 2009~2012 | U-20 and Olympic national teams manager | 2012 London Olympics bronze medal (first for South Korean men's football) |
| 2013~2014.07 | Senior national team manager | Brazil World Cup group stage: 1 draw and 2 losses; 19 matches, 5 wins, 4 draws and 10 losses (per reports) |
| 2016~2017 | Hangzhou Greentown manager | — |
| 2017~2020 | Korea Football Association executive director | — |
| 2021~2024 | Ulsan manager | 2 K League 1 titles (2022, 2023), first back-to-back titles in club history |
| 2024.07~2026.06 | Senior national team manager | North America World Cup Group A: 1 win and 2 losses, eliminated in 3rd place in the group |
Hong Myung-bo's Age, Salary and Current Activities, as of September 2026
As of September 30, 2026, his age is 57, and it changes every year on his birthday, February 12. This research could not confirm any officially disclosed salary figure. Reports on the national team manager's salary differed, ranging from about 2 billion won to about 3.7 billion to 3.8 billion won. According to Seoul Shinmun and MBC reports in late July 2026, Hong denied the figure of 3.8 billion won but did not reveal the actual amount. No new affiliation has been confirmed since his resignation.
The A-match table is based on the association's tally as of July 1, 2026, and the World Cup appearance ranking is based on FIFA's 2025 release, so they may change when new official figures come out. The more Son Heung-min plays for the national team, the wider the 11-match gap between first place and the tied second place grows. 4 times as a player, 2 times as a manager. The World Cups Hong Myung-bo has been part of as a player and manager total 6 tournaments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How old is Hong Myung-bo?
He was born on February 12, 1969, and is 57 as of September 30, 2026.
Q. How many A-matches has Hong Myung-bo played?
According to the Korea Football Association's tally as of July 1, 2026, he has 136 matches and 10 goals. He is tied with Cha Bum-kun for 2nd all time, and first place belongs to Son Heung-min with 147 matches.
Q. How much is Hong Myung-bo's salary?
No officially confirmed amount has been disclosed. Reports conflicted, ranging from about 2 billion won to 3.7 billion to 3.8 billion won. Hong denied the figure of 3.8 billion won but did not reveal the actual amount.
Q. What is Hong Myung-bo's World Cup managerial record?
He recorded 1 draw and 2 losses at the 2014 Brazil tournament and 1 win and 2 losses at the 2026 North America tournament. His combined career record across both tournaments is 1 win, 1 draw and 4 losses.
Related Official Sites
- Korea Football Association A-match records by player — Check Hong Myung-bo's official A-match appearance and goal records
- Korea Football Association all-time records — Check the updated table of the men's all-time A-match appearance ranking
- K League Hall of Fame: Hong Myung-bo — K League playing and managerial career and awards
- FIFA member association guide: South Korea — Information on the Korea Football Association provided by FIFA
Representative image · Archive photo · Not an on-site photo of a current match in the article · Photo = Wikimedia Commons (Republic of Korea), CC BY-SA 2.0
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