Jeong Mong-gyu, Lee Im-saeng, and 'Subject of Severe Discipline' Vice President Kim Jeong-bae to Appear at Police; Investigation into Alleged Intervention by Hong Myung-bo's Appointment

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Jeong-bae, former vice president of the Korea Football Association (KFA) who served as the only full-time vice president during Hong Myung-bo's appointment as head coach of the national team, has reportedly appeared before police for questioning.

According to NEWSIS and others on the 26th, the Seoul National Police Agency's Metropolitan Investigation Division's Financial Crime Investigation Team summoned former Vice President Kim Jeong-bae and former Power Strengthening Committee member Yoon Deok-yeo for investigation today. The police are investigating the process of appointing former national team head coach Hong Myung-bo.

Former Vice President Kim Jeong-bae, who previously served as Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is known to be a party accused of improperly intervening in the appointment process of former coach Hong Myung-bo. During the KFA audit conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2024, he was among those targeted for demands of "suspension or more severe disciplinary action," alongside former President Jeong Mong-gyu Han Chuk-gu-hyeop (Chairman) and former Technical Director Lee Im-saeng.

The police are investigating whether former Vice President Kim Jeong-bae and others improperly intervened in the process of recommending or finally appointing the head coach, based on the results of the audit at that time. In this process, they have summoned former Vice President Kim Jeong-bae, who was a full-time official overseeing actual operations at the time. Additionally, former committee member Yoon Deok-yeo, known to have participated in recommending former coach Hong while serving as a member of the Power Strengthening Committee, also underwent police investigation today.

Previously, the police have successively questioned relevant parties including former head coach Hong Myung-bo and former Technical Director Lee Im-saeng. Early this month, they also conducted searches and seizures at the Korea Football Association. The police plan to summon former President Jeong Mong-gyu Jeon (Chairman) for questioning in the near future.

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*This content was translated by AI.