Coach Hong and KFA Claimed Innocence, But Principles and Procedures Were Absent

[Anchor]

Fierce criticism is pouring in, pointing to the outdated practices and incompetence of the Korea Football Association (KFA) as the root cause of this World Cup disaster. There were no principles or procedures that the public could accept during the national team's preparation process, ultimately leaving behind what will be remembered as "four lost years." The government has announced a special audit.

Reporter Hong Seok-jun has the story.

[Reporter]

Since the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the KFA's process for appointing national team coaches has been like a tragic comedy.

After failing to retain Coach Paulo Bento, who showed excellent performance, the KFA appointed Coach Jurgen Klinsmann, whose leadership was already in question. Following his early dismissal amid controversies over the failure to win the Asian Cup and "neglect of duty," the KFA sparked public outrage by appointing Hong Myung-bo instead of a proven foreign coach through an opaque and unfair process.

[Park Joo-ho / Former Member of the KFA National Team Committee (2024): They kept saying things even before the meeting started, like, 'Shouldn't we have a domestic coach now?' Nothing was done within the proper procedure.]

Summoned to the National Assembly audit that year, Coach Hong and the KFA leadership claimed they were unfairly treated and insisted they had done nothing wrong.

[Chung Mong-gyu / KFA President (2024): I cannot say that we have done everything perfectly, but we worked hard and followed the regulations...]

[Lee Im-saeng / Former KFA Technical Director (2024): I will resign for this. However, I stake my honor on this: I cannot accept the claim that I did not consult with the committee members or receive their consent.]

Even after receiving a request for heavy disciplinary action of "suspension or higher" from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, President Chung Mong-gyu filed an objection with the court and succeeded in securing a fourth consecutive term, causing football fans to turn their backs completely.

An unprecedented scene unfolded where the stands were empty during national team matches. The team embarked on its World Cup journey without the full blessing and support of our fans, only to conclude the tournament with a disaster that will go down in the history of Korean football.

If President Chung Mong-gyu, who belatedly announced he would resign after the World Cup, actually steps down, the KFA must hold an election to choose a new president within 60 days.

As Korean football has repeatedly regressed during these "four lost years," the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has announced it will conduct a special audit and "hold those responsible strictly accountable."

(Video Editing: Lee Jae-sung, Source: YouTube 'Captain Pa-chu-ho')

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