[Anchor]

As calls for accountability within the leadership of the Korea Football Association (KFA) intensify, attention is once again turning to the police investigation into the appointment process of head coach Hong Myung-bo. The investigation centers on allegations, including unfair intervention by KFA President Chung Mong-gyu. The police, who had remained idle for two years, have belatedly announced plans to actively pursue the case.

Reporter Yoo Soo-hwan has the story.

[Reporter]

Two years ago, at a parliamentary audit by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee.

Criticism poured in regarding allegations that KFA President Chung Mong-gyu had unfairly intervened in the process of appointing the national team head coach.

[Kim Seung-soo / National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee (September 24, 2024): The process itself was extremely unfair. That is why there is such anger among football fans and the public.]

[Chung Mong-gyu / KFA President (September 24, 2024): I believe there are many misunderstandings regarding the appointment of coach Hong Myung-bo. I do not think it deviated significantly from procedures and practices.]

Following this, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced the results of a special audit into the KFA, citing 27 instances of illegal or improper administrative practices, including those related to the coach appointment process, and demanded heavy disciplinary action against three individuals, including President Chung.

[Choi Hyun-jun / Auditor, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (November 5, 2024): When appointing coach Hong Myung-bo, the technical director, who lacked the authority to do so, conducted interviews in an unfair and opaque manner under the pretext of the president's instructions....]

Eight complaints related to this matter have also been filed with the police.

The allegations include that President Chung ignored regulations to appoint coach Hong and unilaterally determined his salary.

However, the police investigation has failed to reach a conclusion for two years.

Regarding this, the police explained that they "needed to monitor the administrative litigation process" filed by the KFA against the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to cancel the demand for President Chung's heavy disciplinary action. In April, the first-instance court ruled in favor of the Ministry, confirming that procedural illegalities had occurred.

After President Lee Jae-myung criticized the national team's failure to qualify for the World Cup, stating, "The failure to advance to the World Cup finals is a failure of organization and personnel management," the police have only now stated that they "will actively proceed with the necessary investigations."

It is reported that the police are also reviewing the necessity of summoning President Chung for questioning, but they face inevitable criticism that they have only begun a full-scale investigation under pressure from public opinion and the President's remarks.

(Video Editing: Kim Jin-won)