Seoul: The sports ministry has put forth a recommendation to suspend the nation's leading football official following a contentious hiring process for the head coach of the men's national team.According to Yonhap News Agency, the ministry unveiled its final investigation findings into the Korea Football Association (KFA), suggesting that Chung Mong-gyu, along with other senior officials of the KFA, should be suspended. The controversy centers on the hiring of Hong Myung-bo as head coach in July, which has faced criticism for bypassing the standard vetting process. Accusations have emerged that Hong was appointed after an unscheduled meeting rather than through a formal interview.The ministry has urged the KFA to rectify the procedural shortcomings identified during the hiring of Hong. This includes revisiting the selection process and involving the National Teams Committee, a KFA body responsible for overseeing national team coaching appointments, to propose new candidates for approval by the board of dir ectors.Upon revealing interim findings earlier, the ministry noted that the KFA violated several protocols in appointing Hong. Additionally, the ministry conceded that the issues might have been averted if Chung had not directed a senior official to initially interview candidates other than Hong.
- October 12, 2026
