Former South Korea national football team head coach Hong Myung-bo appeared before the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee on Thursday for a hearing on the Korea Football Association, bowing his head and saying he was "sorry for failing to live up to the expectations of the people" following the team's round-of-32 exit at the 2026 North and Central America World Cup.
The hearing put under scrutiny the KFA's coaching appointment process and overall governance, issues that came to a head after the team's early World Cup exit.
Appearing as a witness alongside former KFA president Chung Mong-gyu, Hong said he would "speak truthfully at the hearing about what I know and the responsibilities I must bear, without avoiding them." He added that he wanted to convey "both my apologies and my gratitude to the players who gave everything until the end despite the difficult circumstances."
The hearing drew wide public attention over controversies surrounding the appointment procedures for former head coaches Jurgen Klinsmann and Hong, as well as the transparency of the association's operations. Notably absent, however, was Lee Im-saeng, the former KFA technical director who oversaw Hong's appointment.
Committee chairwoman Lee Jae-jeong said the absence of Lee and other witnesses and reference persons — including former national team head coach Park Hang-seo — showed a disregard for the public. "The National Assembly's summons is the people's summons," she said. "Those who ignored this hearing cannot consider themselves free from responsibility." She warned that their attendance could be revisited at future national audits if necessary.
The association's failure to submit adequate materials also drew sharp criticism. People Power Party lawmaker Cho Eun-hee said the public was not simply asking why the team lost, but demanding answers as to "whether the KFA has become an organization serving a privileged few, and why flawed procedures keep repeating themselves." Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Jin Seon-mi said she had "never seen an association refuse to submit documents like this" and urged the immediate submission of materials related to operational expenses and other matters.
Meanwhile, Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-yeong said "sweeping reform is being demanded as public distrust has grown following the World Cup's poor showing," adding that the ministry was pursuing governance reform at the KFA and improvements to its presidential election system through the K-Football Innovation Committee, which launched on July 6. The minister's presentation ran to only four pages, however, drawing rebukes from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, who called it a "watered-down report."
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