South Korea Coach Labels Drone Incident ‘Unfortunate’ Ahead of Crucial Mexico World Cup Clash

South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo has described the appearance of an unauthorized drone during a closed training session as “unfortunate” as his side prepares for a crucial FIFA World Cup Group A encounter against co-hosts Mexico.

The drone was detected over South Korea’s training facility in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, on Tuesday while the team was preparing tactical plans for Thursday’s match. Mexican security forces reportedly intercepted the device because it was not properly registered and posed a potential security concern.

Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Hong said the incident occurred at a key moment in preparations but insisted it had little impact on the team’s overall training program.

“It did not impact us significantly, but while we were preparing for the match, that was the most important timing, so what happened was unfortunate,” Hong said.

According to South Korean football officials, the drone appeared during the warm-up phase before tactical drills began, meaning no sensitive strategic information was compromised. Mexican military personnel reportedly used signal-jamming equipment to bring the drone down, but two individuals believed to be linked to the device allegedly retrieved it and fled before authorities could question them.

The incident comes amid heightened security measures across World Cup host cities in Mexico, where authorities have deployed thousands of personnel and advanced surveillance technology to protect teams, venues and supporters during the tournament.

Despite the distraction, South Korea remains focused on securing another victory after opening their World Cup campaign with a 2-1 comeback win over the Czech Republic. Mexico also began strongly, defeating South Africa 2-0 in the tournament opener.

Thursday’s encounter is expected to play a major role in determining who finishes top of Group A. With a passionate home crowd expected in Guadalajara, Hong urged his players to remain composed and control the tempo of the game.

“My players have experienced such matches before,” he said. “We need to control the rhythm and the flow of the match.”

The Korea Football Association has reported the incident to FIFA and requested measures to prevent similar occurrences during the remainder of the tournament. Investigations by local authorities are ongoing.