Ex-coach Hong Myung-bo refutes corporate card misuse allegations

Former South Korean national football team coach Hong Myung-bo has strongly refuted allegations of improper use of a corporate card during his tenure. In a statement released on Monday, Hong addressed a report claiming he used approximately 14 million won (about $10,000) from a corporate card at restaurants near his home over two years.

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All expenses were made within the designated purposes and limits according to the Korea Football Association's regulations. All usage details were submitted to the association and settled. I have never once received any criticism or request for correction regarding the use of the corporate card during my tenure.

Hong maintained that all his corporate card expenditures were made within the designated purposes and limits set by the Korea Football Association (KFA). He asserted that all expenses were properly documented and settled with the association, and he never received any criticism or requests for correction regarding his card usage.

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The coaching staff's main duty is to scout K League players, and matches are mostly held on weekends and public holidays. Weekend meetings were essential for finalizing the national team roster.

The former coach explained that a significant portion of the card's use near his residence in Bundang-gu was due to weekend team meetings. He noted that K League matches, where coaches observe players, are predominantly held on weekends and public holidays. These meetings, often involving foreign coaching staff who resided in Bundang-gu, necessitated expenses for meals and other operational costs in the area.

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Foreign coaches all resided in Bundang-gu. The coaching staff used a shared office in Bundang-gu for meetings and operations, and meals were also taken there.

Furthermore, Hong highlighted that the national team frequently used a shared office space and hotels in Bundang-gu for team gatherings and operations. He stressed that his personal and corporate cards were meticulously separated and that the media report unfairly interpreted professional expenditures as private consumption without considering the team's operational environment and the coaches' living arrangements. He expressed deep regret over the report, stating it failed to account for these crucial contextual factors.

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I strictly separated my corporate and personal cards. This report, which interprets business expenses as private consumption simply because it was near my home, and fails to consider the team's work environment and the coaching staff's living situation, is deeply regrettable.