[7] Hong was named in South Korea's squad for the 1990 FIFA World Cup just four months after his international debut.

[14][15] Hong participated in the 1994 Asian Games after the World Cup, but he injured his knee during the quarter-final match against Japan.

[17] He was also doubted whether he played the game lazily after South Korea lost 6–2 to Iran in the quarter-finals of the 1996 AFC Asian Cup.

[18] Under the next manager Cha Bum-kun, South Korea recorded one draw and two defeats including a 5–0 loss to the Netherlands in the group stage of the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

[19] Hong was going to be selected as an over-aged player of South Korean under-23 team for the 2000 Summer Olympics, but he was injured just before the tournament.

[20] In the 2000 AFC Asian Cup, Hong was selected for the All-Star Team, although South Korea failed to win the title by losing the semi-final match against Saudi Arabia.

He scored the winning penalty to secure a 5–3 shoot-out victory after a goalless draw in the quarter-final match against Spain.

In that year, Hong ended his international career after a friendly match against World Cup champions Brazil as the all-time leader in appearances for South Korean national team.

[22][23][24] An offensive sweeper, he was noted for his accurate long-range passing skills which greatly contributed to South Korea's attack.

Under his guidance the team reached the quarter-finals of the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup, but were eliminated due to a 3–2 defeat to Ghana, the eventual champions.

[27] Choi Kang-hee, the previous manager of South Korea, resigned from his position at the end of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.