Korean Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism: If Injustice is Found in the Appointment Process of Hong Myung-bo, the Korean National Team Will Re-Select a Coach

According to Ilgan Sports, the fate of Hong Myung-bo, the head coach of the South Korean national football team, has become uncertain. Amid allegations of predetermined appointments, the Korean Football Association (KFA) may need to initiate a new selection process.

On the 26th, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yoo In-chon stated during an interview with SBS Radio in Korea, “The appointment process for head coach Hong Myung-bo must be fair. If any injustice is discovered during the review, we should follow proper procedures and reappoint the position.”

After the departure of former head coach Klinsmann, the position of head coach of the South Korean national team attracted interest from several foreign coaches as well as Hong Myung-bo. However, there are reports suggesting that there may have been private negotiations between Hong Myung-bo and the KFA’s Strengthening Committee, leading to widespread belief that the appointment was predetermined.

Additionally, Minister Yoo In-chon also commented on the future of KFA Chairman Chong Mong-gyu, clearly stating, “Even if Chairman Chong Mong-gyu intends to participate in the planned fourth presidential election in December, we cannot approve it.”

In July, Hong Myung-bo took over as the new head coach of the South Korean national team following the dismissal of Klinsmann due to poor performance. However, this appointment has sparked widespread controversy. On one hand, the KFA had previously expressed a preference for hiring a foreign coach; on the other hand, Hong Myung-bo himself had been rather negative about taking on the role of national team head coach until he suddenly changed his stance, which collectively led to strong public dissatisfaction.

According to reports, at the time, Jung Hae-sung, then chairman of the Power Enhancement Committee, recommended three candidates including Hong Myung-bo to Chong Mong-gyu— the other two being former Greece national team coach Poyet and former Norwich City coach Wagner. Jung Hae-sung believed that Hong Myung-bo was the most suitable candidate for the position. Soon after, Jung Hae-sung resigned from his position as chairman, and Chong Mong-gyu instructed technical councilor Lee Lim-saeng to complete the appointment process for Hong Myung-bo. In response, Korean lawmaker Yang Mun-seok pointed out, “The authorization process for Lee Lim-saeng itself was illegal, without submitting necessary documents or conducting formal interviews, isn’t such an appointment illegal?” Lawmaker Kang Yu-jung also criticized that allowing Lee Lim-saeng to concurrently handle the work of the Power Enhancement Committee violated the KFA’s bylaws, describing the practice as even more chaotic than university club management.

During the hearing, lawmakers also mentioned that meetings of the Power Enhancement Committee were actually moving towards selecting Hong Myung-bo as the final candidate. Faced with these doubts, Hong Myung-bo said, “I do not believe there was any unfairness or special treatment in this process.” He insisted that the selection process was proper and that there was no issue with him becoming the head coach of the South Korean national team.