Ex-Football Coach Hong Myung-bo Spent $10,000 Corporate Funds Near Home

Concerns have been raised about the lax management of corporate cards within the Korea Football Association, highlighted by the spending habits of former national team coach Hong Myung-bo. An investigation revealed that Hong spent approximately 14 million won (about $10,000 USD) from a corporate card in the vicinity of his home in Seongnam's Bundang district over a period from July 2024 to May 2025. The expenditures included purchases at hotels, butcher shops, and restaurants near his residence.

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The Football Association did not receive a separate explanation regarding the payments near Hong Myung-bo's home.

Despite the association's internal guidelines stipulating that card usage on holidays or in distant locations requires justification, the KFA reportedly did not request any specific explanation for Hong's expenditures. While the association stated that receipts included attendee information and that monthly reviews found no issues, the lack of a formal 소명 (explanation or justification) process for these specific transactions has drawn criticism.

Further scrutiny revealed unclear high-value transactions, including a payment of nearly 98 million won to an aircraft service company in March 2021, which the association explained as additional baggage transport fees. This incident adds to a pattern of questionable spending, as the KFA previously faced public criticism and apologized in 2016 following a Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism investigation into the misuse of corporate cards by its executives.

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The fact that internal guidelines and explanation procedures are not properly functioning has been confirmed once again, despite problems with corporate card usage being raised multiple times.

Analysis of card usage from 2021 to the present shows continued spending at department stores (218 transactions totaling 26.02 million won) and gas stations (300 transactions totaling 51.88 million won), despite the association having previously prohibited gas station purchases. Lawmaker Jin Sun-mee urged the KFA to strengthen its verification and review procedures for exceptional card usage, emphasizing the urgent need to overhaul its corporate card management system.

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It is urgent to reorganize the corporate card management system, such as strengthening the verification and review procedures for exceptional payments.