After being eliminated in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, there is renewed doubt about the appointment process of South Korea's national football coach Hong Myung-pyo. On July 1st, Seoul police launched an investigation into whether any illegal actions occurred during the appointment process.
According to Korean media reports, since the Korean Football Association re-appointed Hong Myung-pu as the head coach in July 2024, the police have received a total of 8 complaints regarding the appointment of Hong Myung-pu. These complaints allege that officials such as the FA president, Chung Mong-kwan, had any kind of 'deception' in the process of appointing Hong Myung-pu, and suspected misconduct and other illegal activities. Hong Myung-pu himself was not listed as a subject of the complaints.
A police officer said that the case was previously handled by the police in Jongno District, Seoul. Considering its importance, the case was transferred to the Seoul Police Agency. According to South Korean media, the Seoul Police Agency also plans to investigate whether there were any illegal actions in the appointment process of Jurgen Klinsmann, the former head coach of the South Korea national team.
South Korean President Li Jae-myung spoke through social media on June 28, expressing regret that the South Korean team's performance disappointed the public. He also criticized the decision of the football association to appoint Hong Myung-bo as the head coach as "absurd." He said that due to mistakes in personnel decisions, the South Korean team failed to advance. "When you place more emphasis on personal relationships than on ability, allowing incompetent people to coach, the results are easily predictable."
On June 28th, Hong Myung-pyo announced his resignation in Mexico. Two days later, he returned to Korea with some Korean players. At Incheon Airport, he encountered boos from the fans.
