Hong Myung-bo named men's football head coach

Hong Myung-bo, who led the country to the football bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics, was named the new men's national team head coach on Monday.

He replaces Choi Kang-hee who resigned a day after South Korea qualified for its eighth straight 2014 FIFA World Cup finals on June 18. Korea lost 0-1 to Iran in its final World Cup qualifier but advanced to the World Cup tournament in Brazil.

The selection of Hong as new men‘s national football squad head coach was made at a meeting of senior officials of the Korea Football Association (KFA) at the National Football Center in Paju, north of Seoul, the KFA said in a statement. Hong was chosen from among four candidates.

Hong, 44, will serve a two-year term, the statement said.

He is scueduled to hold a news conference on Tuesday at the National Football Center, KFA officials said.

Park Sae-jin swatchsjp@ajunews.com