From the start, Hong Myung-bo's 'secret appointment' was a problem; he could not shake off the original sin of 'two years'... During this period, Korean football has regressed [Hong Myung-bo's Inevitable Disaster ①]

*This content was translated by AI.

Hong Myung-bo, the head coach of the South Korean national football team, has ultimately resigned in disgrace, approximately two years after taking office amid controversies over fairness. On the 29th (Korea time), the day after South Korea's elimination from the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup was confirmed, Hong held a press conference in Mexico and announced his resignation. From the moment he took office, he was engulfed in controversies over fairness, and throughout his two-year journey, he failed to win the support of fans, leaving another stain on Korean football history for the first time in 12 years since the 2014 Brazil tournament. StarNews will look back on the two years of Hong Myung-bo's tenure, which were predicted to be a disaster, and examine the situation of Korean football, which is now inevitably facing great chaos, in a three-part series. /Editor's Note

Let us turn the clock back to July 2024. At that time, the Korea Football Association (KFA) had been drifting for more than five months without finding a new head coach after dismissing former coach Jurgen Klinsmann. After Jung Hae-sung Jeon Ryeok-gang-hwa (Chairman) suddenly resigned, Technical Director Lee Im-saeng took over the baton and led the process of appointing the new coach. Shortly after interviewing foreign coaches and returning to the country, Director Lee met with Coach Hong Myung-bo and entrusted him with the national team's command. The problem was that this process was conducted entirely in 'secrecy'.

Park Ju-ho, who was serving as a member of the Power Strengthening Committee at the time, revealed on his YouTube channel that "nothing was done through proper procedures" and that he was not even aware of the fact that Coach Hong had been selected. He pointed out that there were committee members who unconditionally supported domestic coaches and that the overall flow led to the appointment of Coach Hong. Criticism poured in, stating that Coach Hong was appointed through Director Lee Im-saeng's unilateral decision while the normal functions of the Power Strengthening Committee were lost.

As public opinion deteriorated sharply, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism launched a special audit targeting the association. In October 2024, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced through its interim audit results that the association had violated internal regulations and committed procedural flaws in the process of appointing Coach Hong. Accordingly, it demanded severe sanctions, including suspension of qualifications, against Jeong Mong-gyu (Chairman) and Director Lee Im-saeng, among others. However, the association strongly opposed the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's audit results, stating that it was difficult to agree with the unfairness of the process of appointing Coach Hong. It refused to accept the sanction demands, even threatening administrative litigation, and as a result, related police investigations and legal disputes have been dragging on for two years to this day.

At the time, the anger of football fans went beyond criticism on online communities and was expressed through actions. Football fans, including the national team supporters 'Red Devils', hung banners condemning the association and Coach Hong at stadiums and poured out fierce jeers. In an unprecedented incident, even during home games under Coach Hong's command, a boycott of support occurred. However, the association ultimately turned a deaf ear to public opinion.

Ultimately, the government drew its sword again in the two-year journey that ended in disaster. Immediately after the World Cup elimination, on the 29th, Choi Hwi-young, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, ordered a high-intensity special audit of the association. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism plans to form an investigation committee including external experts to thoroughly investigate not only the irregularities in the process of appointing Coach Hong and the refusal to accept sanctions against executives, but also the use of government subsidies amounting to hundreds of billions of won. It promised sweeping reforms, stating that it would hold those responsible strictly accountable if violations were confirmed and would even overhaul the indirect election system for selecting Hyeon Haeng (Chairman).

It made no sense to expect good results from a head coach who lost procedural legitimacy from the very beginning. The Hong Myung-bo team, launched amidst fans' jeers, ultimately failed to shake off the original sin of fairness throughout the two years and left a heartbreaking record of elimination from the World Cup group stage before departing bitterly. The disaster that began with the wrong first button two years ago has ultimately led to today's tragedy.

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*This content was translated by AI.