Following the group stage elimination at the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, former support head Park Hang-seo has launched a scathing critique regarding the administrative failures of the Korea Football Association.
Park, the former head of the support unit for the North and Central America World Cup, appeared on the YouTube channel "Beolli TV hosted by Seo Hyung-wook" to expose the absurd administrative realities of the association.
Regarding the so-called "Son Heung-min backbiting incident" that surfaced during the tournament, Park stated that he was not officially briefed on the matter by the association.
He shared behind-the-scenes details, explaining that after the match against the Czech Republic, Son Heung-min and Lee Jae-sung came to find him and asked for a resolution.
According to Park, he conveyed the players' demands—which included issuing a statement, an apology from the reporter in question, and a boycott of media coverage—to association officials, but the problem was not resolved, leaving the remaining matches against Mexico and South Africa to be played under those circumstances.
Park also exposed the background of head coach Hong Myung-bo's resignation press conference, where he read the apology alone, stating, "Sizing up the situation, it seemed the executive director and the others had no desire to step forward. So I said I would do it myself."
He also criticized former coach Hong, who left the press conference with his hands in his pockets after reading a statement without taking questions, as well as the association leadership who were present at the scene but failed to step up.
Park confessed, "It was also incomprehensible that the press conference ended without a Q&A session. At the airport upon our return, everyone was looking at each other sideways, so I stepped forward thinking it was my duty to do so."
Park revealed that despite holding the title of head of the support unit, his authority and role were unclear.
He mentioned that he asked about the reporting system and authority during an internal association meeting but received no clear answer, adding, "Looking back, I should have secured clear authority back then."
He went on to say, "The invisible cartel within the association is stronger than school ties," and urged that "young football figures without selfish motives must step to the forefront."
(Reported by Kim Jiuk | Video by Ahn Jun-hyeok | Design: Lee Sumin | Produced by SBS Digital News | Video source: Seo Hyung-wook's "Beolli TV")
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