The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has begun preparing a sweeping probe into the Korea Football Association's overall administration, including the process of appointing former national team coach Hong Myung-bo and the propriety of spending public funds.
It follows criticism of problems at the association level after the national team, which competed in the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup, failed to reach the round of 32, recording its worst result ever.
According to relevant ministries on the 30th, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), under an order from Minister Chae Hwi-young, has begun preparing to launch an investigative committee composed of internal and external experts with experience in soccer administration.
On the 28th, the Minister said on social media that "we will form a committee of experts to thoroughly investigate the cause of the situation and hold those responsible to account for the incompetence and poor management revealed in the process."
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) first plans to investigate the propriety of spending public funds worth tens of billions of won injected into the football association. Currently, 20% of the Korea Football Association's annual budget of 130 billion to 150 billion won is public funds.
As of this year, these include Sports Toto ticket revenue (5.3 billion won), the National Sports Promotion Fund (8.1 billion won), and government subsidies (10 billion to 15 billion won). A total of 30 billion won in public funds is being injected.
The ministry also plans to reinvestigate the process of appointing former coach Hong Myung-bo, which was controversial ahead of this World Cup. Although a specific audit was conducted once, it will take another look.
The specific audit began in July 2024 when Park Joo-ho, then a member of the power enhancement committee, raised issues with the procedure as the association named Hong as the coach-designate, and public opinion turned negative.
In an interim audit result in October of the same year, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) announced that the association had violated internal rules in the process of appointing Hong and demanded heavy penalties of at least suspension for Chairman Chung Mong-gyu and Director Lee Im-saeng, among others.
The association filed a lawsuit to cancel the "notification of specific audit results and request for measures," engaging in a legal battle, and applied for a stay of execution on the disciplinary request, which was granted. In the meantime, Chairman Chung won a fourth consecutive term.
Police are also investigating the Korea Football Association and Chairman Chung over the appointment of former coach Hong, but have not reached a conclusion for nearly two years. Then on the 29th, they said they would "proactively move the investigation forward."
Chairman Chung has said he will step down as soon as this World Cup ends, but given that President Lee Jae-myung has also called for "an analysis of the situation and causes and measures for prevention and improvement," a strong investigation appears likely.
The Red Devils, the official supporters of the Korea men's national soccer team, also issued a statement saying they "will use every means to fight until the entrenched vested-interest forces eating away at Korean soccer are completely eradicated."