Opposition party to hold hearing on football coach selection, KFA operations

South Korea's main opposition party, the Democratic Party, is pushing to hold a parliamentary hearing to investigate the national football team's failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The party intends to summon Chairman Chung Mong-gyu of the Korea Football Association (KFA) and former national team coach Hong Myung-bo as witnesses. The hearing aims to scrutinize the KFA's decision-making process, particularly concerning the appointment of the national team's head coach, and its overall management. The Democratic Party plans to convene the Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee for its first meeting of the latter half of the parliamentary session on June 6 to consider the hearing proposal. Initially, the party considered a general inquiry but opted for a hearing to ensure a more thorough examination of the issues. A party official stated that a hearing would prevent the KFA from diverting attention to other matters. The KFA appointed Hong Myung-bo as head coach after a five-month vacancy following the dismissal of German coach Jürgen Klinsmann in early 2024. However, a special audit by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in November 2024 revealed that Lee Im-saeng, a former technical director without appointment authority, allegedly influenced Hong's selection process under Chairman Chung's direction. The hearing is also expected to cover the KFA's operations during Chung's tenure, as criticisms regarding opaque management have been persistent within the football community. The recent World Cup qualification failure has intensified public criticism of the association. If the hearing proposal is approved, the KFA will be required to submit documents, and witness selection will commence, with Chung and Hong being prime candidates. The Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism may also be called to testify. The hearing's momentum, however, may depend on the participation of the ruling People Power Party, whose members have submitted resignation letters from their committee positions in protest of the parliamentary session's organization.

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If we hold a general inquiry, the Football Association and others might try to muddy the waters and shift focus to other issues. We decided on a hearing to conduct a more thorough investigation.