Police said they are conducting an investigation in connection with the appointment of Hong Myung-bo as head coach of the national team by the Korea Football Association.

An official at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said at a regular press briefing on the 29th, "Since Hong was appointed, a total of eight complaints have been filed and we are investigating them."

Coach Hong Myung-bo of the Korea men's national soccer team greets after finishing a World Cup settlement of account press conference at the base camp set up at the Chivas Valle Verde training center in Zapopan near Guadalajara, Mexico, on the 28th (local time). /Courtesy of News1

The case accusing Chair Chung Mong-gyu of the Korea Football Association of charges including obstruction of business and breach of duty in connection with Hong's appointment was assigned to the Jongno Police Station in July 2024. But it has not reached a conclusion for nearly two years.

A Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency official said, "It was necessary to watch for the outcome of the administrative lawsuit," and added, "We are continuing legal review and related inquiries."

Earlier, the Seoul Administrative Court ruled against the association in a lawsuit in which the soccer association sought to overturn the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's request for heavy disciplinary action against Chair Chung.

In particular, along with its ruling in April, the court also set out the facts related to the procedure for appointing Hong as head coach.

The bench found that after the association's Power Enhancement Committee selected Hong as the top candidate, former Chairperson Chung Hae-sung abruptly resigned while communicating with Chair Chung, and the association leadership transferred the authority to recommend the coach to former technical director Lee Im-seng, who had no such authority. The bench also determined that the board's decision—made after receiving a report from the Power Enhancement Committee to give final approval to the appointment—was carried out unilaterally without sufficient discussion.

Although police said they would continue the investigation, both Chair Chung and Coach Hong have expressed their intention to resign. Chair Chung said he would step down after the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America. Hong also said the same day that he would resign, taking responsibility for the group-stage exit.

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