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

Former South Korea national football team head coach Hong Myung-bo, who faces allegations that senior Korea Football Association officials improperly intervened in his appointment, told police he had no communication with then-KFA President Chung Mong-gyu during the hiring process, sources said.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Metropolitan Investigation Unit's financial crimes unit questioned Hong as a suspect on Aug. 4 and obtained a statement in which he said he had not been in contact with Chung during the coaching appointment process, according to Yonhap.

Hong made the statement in response to a question about whether he had been in contact with Chung before or after his appointment as head coach.

Police are investigating whether Chung and Lee Im-saeng, who served as the KFA's technical director at the time, and other senior officials improperly intervened in Hong's 2024 appointment. Hong indicated in his statement that he had no knowledge of any such involvement.

When asked whether he had any knowledge of the deliberations of the KFA's national team enhancement committee, which screened coaching candidates at the time, Hong said he did not.

Hong also addressed questions about his salary in connection with breach of trust allegations — one of the charges filed against him — saying he had received a comparable salary when he was head coach of Ulsan HD in the professional league.

Police conducted search and seizure operations Wednesday at the KFA's offices in Cheonan and at the KFA building in Jongno-gu, Seoul, seizing materials related to the coaching appointment.

Investigators are expected to summon Chung for questioning once they complete their analysis of the seized materials.


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