Former national football team head coach Hong Myung-bo [Yonhap]
Former national football team head coach Hong Myung-bo [Yonhap]

Former national football team head coach Hong Myung-bo charged a total of 14 million won ($9,550) to a Korea Football Association corporate card at hotels, restaurants and other establishments near his home, records show.

According to Korea Football Association corporate card usage records obtained by Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Jin Seon-mi, Hong charged a total of 37.42 million won on the card between July 2024 and May this year.

Of that amount, 14.06 million won was spent in Bundang-gu, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province — the area where Hong lives. The charges were made at a hotel, a butcher-style restaurant and a hangover-soup eatery near his home. Records also show he charged hundreds of thousands of won at establishments in Bundang-gu on public holidays, including Children's Day, Memorial Day and Liberation Day.

Under the KFA's corporate card guidelines, card use is restricted on holidays, near an employee's home and in locations outside their designated work zone. When card use in such circumstances is unavoidable, employees must provide objective supporting documentation — such as proof of a business trip — or submit a written justification.

Regarding the charges near Hong's home, the KFA said it had not received a separate written justification from him, but added that attendees and headcounts had been noted on receipts and that monthly usage records had been reviewed.

Hong also charged a further 9.94 million won near his home after the KFA conducted a corporate card usage training session for all staff in May last year.

Meanwhile, critics pointed out that the KFA continues to make repeated corporate card charges at department stores and gas stations, even after the association issued a public apology in 2016 over the personal misuse of corporate cards.

An investigation by Rep. Jin's office into KFA corporate card records from January 2021 through July this year found 218 transactions totaling 26.03 million won at department stores and 300 transactions totaling 51.88 million won at gas stations, based on card-company industry classifications.

Notably, former technical director Lee Im-saeng made three purchases totaling 546,000 won at Lotte Department Store, Hyundai Department Store and other outlets during that period. Hong also spent 160,000 won at Shinsegae and other department stores.

The KFA's internal guidelines contain no restrictions on corporate card use at department stores or children's clothing retailers.

"The standards for corporate card use need to be made as specific as those of other sports organizations, and the management system — which cannot even handle proper disclosure — must be overhauled from the ground up," Rep. Jin said.


paq@heraldcorp.com