Coach Hong Myung-bo: "I Don't Think There Was Any Favoritism in the Appointment Process"

Attended National Assembly Culture Committee Inquiry on Current Issues, Responded to Appointment Controversy
Chairman Chung Mong-gyu: "Did Not Conspire or Try to Conceal"

Hong Myung-bo, the head coach of the South Korean national football team, expressed on the 24th that he does not believe there was any unfairness or special treatment in the process of his appointment as the national team coach.

Coach Hong made this statement while appearing as a witness at the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee's current issues inquiry on the same day. He apologized for causing public outrage regarding all football-related matters, including the coach appointment, saying, "I am very sorry for causing public anger." However, he drew a line regarding the controversy over special treatment, stating, "I was appointed because the Strengthening Committee ranked me first; if I had been second or third, I would not have accepted the position."

Hong Myung-bo, head coach of the national soccer team, is responding to a lawmaker's question during the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee's inquiry into the Korea Football Association held at the National Assembly on the 24th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Coach Hong was appointed as the head coach of the South Korean national football team in July after controversy. It was about 10 years since he stepped down following a disappointing performance of 1 draw and 2 losses in the group stage of the 2014 Brazil World Cup.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) dismissed former coach J?rgen Klinsmann in February and searched for a new coach for five months before selecting Hong Myung-bo, then the coach of Ulsan Hyundai in professional football. However, controversy arose as Hong was suddenly appointed after considering several foreign coaches. Until two days before his appointment, Hong had publicly stated that he would not take the national team coach position. As a result, there was public outrage over allegations that the association had already decided on Hong and only went through the formal appointment procedures.

At the current issues inquiry of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee on the same day, both Coach Hong and Chung Mong-gyu, the president of the Korea Football Association, appeared as witnesses and responded to questions about the controversy surrounding the coach appointment process.

Before the inquiry, President Chung Mong-gyu explained in a written opening statement that the various suspicions related to Hong Myung-bo’s appointment were not due to any conspiracy or attempts to conceal the truth. He said, "We did not conspire or try to hide the facts," and added, "Although we did not disclose every detail of the negotiation process or explain everything in detail at the time, it was not because we were trying to conspire or hide the truth. It was certainly not to select a specific person through an unfair process."

Chung Mong-gyu, President of the Korea Football Association, is responding to lawmakers' questions during the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee's inquiry into the Korea Football Association held at the National Assembly on the 24th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Regarding the insufficient explanations during the appointment process, President Chung said, "We judged that the process of selecting the national team coach itself deserved sufficient protection," and added, "The privacy of those who were excluded or whose negotiations failed due to mismatched conditions during earlier negotiations must also be adequately protected."

He further stated, "During my tenure as the president of the Football Association, I have never selected a national team coach against the recommendations of the current Strengthening Committee or the previous Technical Committee," and added, "While I have given procedural advice, I have never told anyone how to handle the selection of a specific person."

However, President Chung hinted at changes to the current coach appointment method, saying, "The appointment process and the public opinion formation process this time taught us a lesson that we should not select the South Korean national football team coach in this way in the future." He referred to the fact that the names of coaching candidates discussed in the Strengthening Committee meetings were leaked to the media almost in real-time, emphasizing, "This should never happen again."

President Chung also expressed personal regret toward Coach Hong, saying, "As a result of this prolonged discussion process, I personally feel very sorry for Coach Hong Myung-bo, who was appointed."