Korea Football Association President Chung Mong-gyu. [Yonhap]
Korea Football Association President Chung Mong-gyu. [Yonhap]

A police investigation into allegations that Korea Football Association President Chung Mong-gyu improperly interfered in the appointment of national team head coach Hong Myung-bo has made no progress in nearly two years, even as audits and court proceedings have already found the appointment process unlawful.

The Jongno Police Station in Seoul received a complaint in July 2024 alleging that Chung committed obstruction of business and breach of fiduciary duty in connection with Hong's appointment but has yet to reach a disposition, according to Yonhap News Agency on Monday.

A Jongno Police Station official said further questioning of those involved was still needed, along with additional legal review. The station said it was difficult to determine whether there were grounds for charges or a referral to prosecutors based solely on the complaint filed by a civic group, the Committee for Measures on People's Livelihoods.

A Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism audit in November 2024 and subsequent administrative court proceedings had already concluded that the process used to appoint Hong was flawed.

The Seoul Administrative Court ruled against the Korea Football Association in April in a lawsuit the association filed seeking to overturn the ministry's demand for heavy disciplinary action against Chung. The court found that the KFA's national team performance enhancement committee acted unlawfully when it selected Hong as its top candidate in July 2024.

Specifically, the court found that after the committee had settled on Hong and former committee chairman Jeong Hae-seong abruptly resigned amid communications with Chung, KFA leadership transferred the authority to recommend a coach to former technical director Lee Im-saeng, who held no such authority. The board of directors then approved the appointment without adequate deliberation. The KFA has appealed the first-instance ruling.

Police maintain that administrative findings and criminal determinations are separate matters.

To establish obstruction of business, investigators said they must prove that Chung acted with intent to deceive or coercively obstruct the performance enhancement committee or other KFA bodies.

In practice, Chung is understood to have not supported Hong's appointment from the outset. When former committee chairman Jeong reported that Hong was the right candidate, Chung reportedly instructed the committee to also meet with foreign candidates.

Meanwhile, as the investigation has dragged on unusually long, both Chung and Hong have announced their intention to step down.

Chung said last month he would resign as KFA president after the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America concludes, while Hong formally announced his resignation as head coach after South Korea was eliminated in the group stage.


betterj@heraldcorp.com