Kim Young-gwang. [Yonhap]
Kim Young-gwang. [Yonhap]

Former South Korea national team goalkeeper Kim Young-gwang, 43, has once again spoken out against what he calls the outdated systems and insular culture of Korean football.

In a social media post Friday, Kim referenced the postponement of a National Assembly hearing on the Korea Football Association and said the core issue was not seniority or personal relationships but "the outdated system of Korean football."

"In the past, silence was considered a virtue for players — but not anymore," he said. "We are now in an era where speaking up against wrong decisions and unfair management is only natural."

He said the KFA had long buried its problems under a culture of school ties and sunbae-hoobae hierarchy, relying on past glories to avoid accountability. "But fans and football people no longer accept that approach," he said.

Kim said his remarks were not aimed at any individual. "I am speaking out of a desire to see Korean football improve," he said. "Systems must now come before people. Common sense and fairness must be the standard, and a culture of accountability must take root."

This is not the first time Kim has publicly called for reform at the KFA. Two years ago, when former national team head coach Hong Myung-bo was appointed to lead the squad, Kim used his YouTube channel to highlight problems within the association and call for those responsible to step down.

Throughout the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, he consistently pressed for reform in Korean football, and drew wide attention when he publicly called on Hong to resign, saying, "Hong Myung-bo, get out."

The National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee had planned to hold a hearing Wednesday to scrutinize the process by which the national team head coach was selected and to examine broader problems in the association's management, with an eye toward normalization. Former KFA President Chung Mong-gyu, former head coach Hong Myung-bo and former technical director Lee Im-saeng were among those named as witnesses.

However, after a boycott by People Power Party lawmakers disrupted the committee's regular activities, the hearing was pushed back to July 30. The committee plans to hold a plenary session next week to formally vote on the change of date.


min3654@heraldcorp.com