Police Conduct First Search and Seizure at Korea Football Association Over Allegations Surrounding Appointment of Manager Hong Myung-bo

[Anchor]

Police investigating allegations of undue intervention by the Korea Football Association in the appointment of former national football team manager Hong Myung-bo have launched their first compulsory investigation. Authorities raided the Korea Football Association offices and the Football House to secure materials related to the manager's appointment.

This is an exclusive report by Jeong Jiyeon.

[Reporter]

The Financial Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency conducted a search and seizure starting at 9:00 a.m. today (August 6) at the Korea Football Association located in Cheonan and the Football House in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

It is reported that the police secured materials related to the selection of the national team manager by targeting the KFA's National Team Committee responsible for screening candidates, as well as the National Team Support Team and the World Cup Support Team.

The investigation team reportedly secured internal documents stored on KFA PCs and also performed forensic analysis on the mobile phones of association officials.

The search and seizure warrant specified charges including obstruction of business.

Based on the secured materials, the police plan to verify whether former KFA President Chung Mong-gyu, former Technical Director Lee Im-saeng, and others unduly intervened in the decisions of the National Team Committee and the Board of Directors during the process of appointing former manager Hong Myung-bo in 2024.

The police summoned former manager Hong for his first private questioning as a suspect the day before yesterday. Appearing at a National Assembly hearing on July 30, former manager Hong maintained that there were no special favors in the appointment process.

[Hong Myung-bo / Former National Football Team Manager (July 30): (Do you have any plans to offer an apology?) "Just because we met in front of my house, I have never once asked for any special favors or benefits."]

Previously, the Seoul Jongno Police Station launched an investigation following a civic group's complaint filed in July of the year before last, shortly after former manager Hong was appointed, but no conclusion had been reached.

As attention focused on the investigation status after the national team failed to advance to the World Cup Round of 32 last June, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency transferred the case to the Metropolitan Investigation Unit on July 1.

(Video reporting: Kim Heung-gi, Kim Nam-sung | Video editing: Kim Jin-won)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.