On October 2, 2024, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced the interim results of an audit of the Korean Football Association's selection process for Hong Myung-bo as a national coach. The key point is that the technical director Lee Im-saeng, who only has the right to interview candidates, committed a "procedural defect" by recommending the first candidate. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism left a lingering feeling, saying, "It is difficult to judge that the contract with Hong is invalid."
The Korea Football Association immediately refuted the claim. The committee was resolved after the 10th meeting on June 30, and Lee, who was delegated authority afterwards, met and negotiated with the top three candidates recommended by Chung Hae-sung, chairman of the committee, in person, so there was no procedural problem. Chung Mong-kyu, chairman of the association who oversees the committee's affairs affairs, said, "The appointment of the director was made within the relevant regulations as he could no longer delay the appointment of the coach."안전놀이터
Compared to the National Assembly's standing committee calling out Chairman Chung and head coach Hong and ordering President Yoon Suk Yeol to "come up with clear improvement measures to correct wrong practices," the confrontation over the interpretation of the regulations is close to "Taesan Myung-dong Seo Il-pil." In the midst of this confusion, director Lee Im-saeng resigned, and the national team has to play away games against Jordan (October 10) and home games against Iraq (October 15) in the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup.
What should be noted in the ministry's announcement is the process of recruiting former coach Jurgen Klinsmann in February 2023. At that time, Chairman Chung had allowed the authority of the committee to be entrusted to Chairman Michael Müller, thereby neutralizing the committee and interviewing two final candidates by himself without the authority to recommend coaches, a survey showed. It can be said that the distrust among soccer fans began at that time, and Chung's undemocratic tyranny contributed to the cause.