Chung Mong-kyu, former president of the Korea Football Association (KFA), and Hong Myung-bo, former head coach of the South Korean national football team, faced intense criticism following their team's exit from the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They appeared at a National Assembly hearing on July 30, where they acknowledged the disappointing performance but denied allegations of opaque administrative practices and favoritism regarding the appointment of the head coach.
The National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee convened the hearing to examine the KFA's operations, including the process of selecting the national team coach. Alongside Chung and Hong, witnesses included KFA vice presidents Lee Yong-soo and Kim Byung-ji, executive director Kim Seung-hee, and national team coach Kim Jin-kyu.
During their opening statements, both Chung and Hong expressed regret over the team's World Cup results. Chung stated, "I feel deeply sorry for the series of controversies and the unsatisfactory outcome of the World Cup. As the KFA president, I take full responsibility and apologize for not meeting the expectations of the public and football fans."
Hong echoed this sentiment, saying, "I want to first apologize to the public for not meeting their expectations during the World Cup. I take the responsibility seriously for not delivering on the hopes placed in the national team."
A key focus of the hearing was the controversy surrounding Hong's appointment as head coach, which emerged in July 2024. At that time, the KFA had entrusted the appointment authority to Lee Im-sang, the former technical director, despite the Performance Enhancement Committee being ineffective. Lee conducted a late-night interview near Hong's home without any observers or a formal questionnaire, raising concerns about procedural legitimacy.
Lawmakers scrutinized the opaque decision-making process that led to the final selection of the head coach, questioning the KFA's governance. When Representative Bae Hyun-jin of the ruling People Power Party pointed out procedural issues, Hong dismissed the allegations of favoritism. He responded, "When I received the offer, I believed the process was normal. I understand that meeting near my home might seem opaque to the public, but I never requested any special treatment or benefits."
Chung also defended the legitimacy of the appointment process, stating, "I am not rejecting the results of the special audit by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, but there are aspects that differ from the facts among various opinions. All coaches, including Hong, Jurgen Klinsmann, and Paulo Bento, were appointed through the same process."
When Representative Lim Ok-kyung of the Democratic Party asked if the hearing would have taken place had the team advanced to the Round of 16, Chung replied, "I believe this hearing would not have occurred if we had reached the Round of 16."
Additionally, Hong addressed allegations regarding his high salary. In response to a claim by Democratic Party Representative Jeong Joon-ho that he earned 3.8 billion won, Hong clarified, "Due to various legal clauses in the contract, I cannot disclose the exact amount, but it is definitely not 3.8 billion won. The amount was mutually agreed upon, and I never asked for more. I accepted the proposed amount as is."
Meanwhile, Son Heung-min, who was excluded from the squad for the World Cup match against South Africa, made headlines by scoring multiple goals and being named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the Major League Soccer (MLS) All-Star Game held in North Carolina, USA, on the same day.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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