*This content was translated by AI.
The investigation into allegations of unfair appointment of former national team coach Hong Myung-bo has now officially expanded from former Technical Director Lee Im-saeng to former Standing Vice President Kim Jeong-bae, who was at the peak of the association's administrative operations at the time.
According to NEWSIS and others on the 26th, the Seoul National Police Agency's Metropolitan Investigation Team's Financial Crime Investigation Division summoned former KFA Standing Vice President Kim Jeong-bae and former National Team Strength Enhancement Committee Member Yoon Deok-yeo as suspects and witnesses, conducting a rigorous interrogation.
Police are focusing intensively on whether there were improper interventions by the association's leadership and procedural violations during the candidate recommendation and final selection process for appointing former coach Hong Myung-bo in 2024.
In particular, former Vice President Kim Jeong-bae, who was a former Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the only standing executive at the time overseeing all administrative operations, is a key figure who was demanded to receive disciplinary actions beyond suspension during a specific audit by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism alongside former Director General Jung Mong-gyu Jeon (Chairman) and former director Lee Im-saeng.
Kim Jeong-bae's appearance before police is amplifying the controversy as it coincides with revelations about the appointment process exposed by former Technical Director Lee Im-saeng, who recently entered legal battles. According to recent reports from the football community, Lee's legal representative filed a lawsuit participation application with the Court of Appeal between the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Football Association, claiming that specific instructions were given at the time by former President Jung Mong-gyu Jeon (Chairman) and former Vice President Kim Jeong-bae.
At that time, Lee Im-saeng's side revealed that after the final candidate interview, they reported to former President Jung Jeon (Chairman) about Coach Hong's willingness to accept, and received the instruction "Then appoint Coach Hong Myung-bo." Immediately afterward, Vice President Kim Jeong-bae at the time issued specific follow-up work instructions including an official appointment announcement through the public relations office, contract procedures by dedicated staff, and report writing. This contradicts his past stance where he claimed to have led all decisions himself, now specifically pointing to direct instructions from former Standing Administrative Director Kim Jeong-bae via LINE.
Furthermore, controversies surrounding real power intervention and responsibility evasion involving former Vice President Kim are not new. In October 2024, the Korea Football Association Labor Union issued a statement strongly urging immediate resignation of former Vice President Kim. At that time, the union strongly criticized that although former Vice President Kim was a former Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism who had been hired as a practical person-in-charge to handle the aftermath of the 2023 match-fixing pardon controversy, he neglected his role as a control tower during the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism audit phase and tried to evade responsibility alone by utilizing his connections.
Continuing, "It is known that Vice President Kim Jeong-bae was also the one who pushed forward despite ignoring instructions from former President Jeong Mong-gyu (Chairman) to reconstitute the Strength Enhancement Committee. However, during the urgent question session at the National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee on September 24th, he successfully hid himself. His name was also missing from the list of witnesses for the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's annual audit," claiming this constitutes preferential treatment by former officials in the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
In particular, the union stated in its statement at that time: "Vice President Kim Jeong-bae was the person ultimately responsible for detailed contract conditions regarding the appointment process of Coach Hong Myung-bo. It is also known that Vice President Kim was the one who pushed former Technical Director Lee Im-saeng by claiming he had negotiation authority immediately after former President Jung Hae-sung Jeon Ryeok-gang-hwa (Chairman) resigned."
Continuing, "He ignored instructions from former President Jeong Mong-gyu (Chairman) to reconstitute the Strength Enhancement Committee and pushed forward with procedures, yet completely disappeared from the National Assembly's urgent question session and annual audit witness list," severely criticizing him.
While police in Korea conduct comprehensive investigations and past allegations resurface, another key figure in the situation, former director Lee Im-saeng, is currently serving as Technical Director of Cambodian professional club Nagaworld FC and facing strong public criticism. After the devastating elimination from the World Cup group stage in North America, Central America, and Caribbean, he had refused to appear at a National Assembly hearing under the pretext of overseas employment, but recently posted cheerful photos on the club's SNS, drawing outrage from football fans.
Police who conducted forced searches and seizures at the KFA headquarters earlier this month are sequentially continuing investigations into former Vice President Kim Jeong-bae and Strength Enhancement Committee members following former coach Hong Myung-bo and former Technical Director Lee Im-saeng. Once the investigation into practical LINE communications is completed, police plan to directly summon former President Jung Mong-gyu Jeon (Chairman), who stands at the very top of the allegations, to intensely question whether there was upper-level intervention and to determine final responsibility.
<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>
*This content was translated by AI.
