Chung Mong-gyu, President of the Korea Football Association (KFA), former Technical Director Lee Im-saeng, and national team head coach Hong Myung-bo have been reported to the authorities by a civic group.

On July 2, the conservative civic group, the Citizens' Committee for People's Livelihood, announced that it had filed a complaint against President Chung, former Director Lee, and Coach Hong on charges including coercion, intimidation, obstruction of business, and professional malpractice.

The committee stated, "Coach Hong caused pain to the players and insulted the public with his lack of tactics and strategy during this World Cup, relying solely on individual player skills," adding, "He received an annual salary inconsistent with his capabilities, funded by taxpayers' money, and resigned without offering a single proper apology."

The group further claimed, "We filed a complaint against President Chung and others in 2024, but the police have failed to reach a conclusion for over two years and four months. The case was transferred from the Jongno Police Station to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency without even notifying me, the complainant. While the working-level officers worked diligently, the leadership and those above blocked the investigation."

On July 1, the Jongno Police Station and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Metropolitan Investigation Division announced that the complaint cases against President Chung and others, which had been handled by the Jongno station, would be transferred to the Financial Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Metropolitan Investigation Division.

Since July 2024, the Jongno Police Station had been assigned a total of eight complaints and had been investigating KFA officials, including President Chung and former Technical Director Lee Im-saeng.

The core of the case involves allegations of improper intervention by high-ranking KFA officials, including President Chung, in the process of appointing the national team head coach.

The Citizens' Committee for People's Livelihood stated, "We understand that members of the National Team Committee for Strengthening Power felt significant intimidation when they opposed the appointment of Coach Hong at the time," and added, "The National Assembly should conduct a comprehensive special investigation to swiftly resolve the public's suspicions."

(Photo: Yonhap News)