Director Lee Resigns Amid KFA’s Bypass Allegations in Coach Selection Process

Chung Mong-gyu, president of the Korea Football Association, Hong Myung-bo, head coach of the Korean men’s national football team, and Lee Im-saeng, technical director, respond to questions from lawmakers during the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee’s plenary session at the National Assembly on September 24. Reporter Moon Jae-won

The Korean Football Association’s process of selecting a successor to Jürgen Klinsmann did not encounter any major procedural issues.

However, it was noted that the process was hindered by a lack of communication and administrative errors, which were identified as areas needing improvement.

During an inquiry held on September 24 by the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee, various questions were raised regarding the appointment process of head coach Hong Myung-bo, to which the Korea Football Association (KFA) provided explanations.

One key issue raised was the dual role of Lee Im-saeng, the KFA’s technical director. The National Assembly pointed out, “Holding dual positions violates the regulations, and the decision was made without consultation with the association’s board of directors.” In response, the KFA clarified that Lee did not take over from the former chief of the National Team Strengthening Committee, Chung Hae-sung, who had resigned, but merely handled the final steps in appointing the coach.

At the 10th meeting, Chung and the committee members decided to shortlist three candidates and report to the association’s president, Chung Mong-gyu. However, Chung resigned the next day after hearing the president’s instruction to “meet with two foreign candidates and Hong Myung-bo in person” during the report.

The role of the Strengthening Committee is to make recommendations, while the final decision rests with the association’s board of directors. The KFA explained that Lee Im-saeng, the technical director, did not take on the dual role but only completed the final steps in the selection process.

It was revealed that former chief Chung Hae-sung’sresignation stemmed from a misunderstanding of instructions given by KFA president Chung Mong-gyu, who had asked him to meet with all three coaching candidates in person. The former chief, who had recommended Hong Myung-bo as the top choice, mistakenly perceived president Chung’s request for interviews with all three candidates to ensure clarity in the process as pressure to select a foreign coach.

There were, however, errors in the selection process. Had the decision for Lee Im-saeng to finalize the coaching appointment been formally approved by the board of directors beforehand, the current confusion could have been avoided. Additionally, Lee’s failure to uphold his promise to notify the Strengthening Committee members in advance once a final candidate was chosen, due to concerns about media leaks, was another misstep.

When allegations of insufficient consensus among committee members were repeatedly raised, accompanied by screenshots of chat room conversations, Lee responded, “This is a matter of my honor. I cannot accept claims that I did not communicate or get their consent,” and subsequently announced his intention to resign.

Meanwhile, the inquiry into current affairs also touched on the debate over the reappointment of Chung Mong-gyu, president of the Korea Football Association, and Lee Ki-heung, president of the Korea Sports Council. Both Chung and Lee sidestepped direct answers when asked to relinquish their positions, stating only that they would “carefully consider” the matter.

Kim Taek-kyu, president of the Korea Badminton Association, announced plans to revise the rule requiring national team players to use sponsor-provided equipment, a regulation that came under scrutiny following public criticism by Ahn Se-young. Although Kim noted, “I cannot change the rule on my own,” he promised to work toward revising it.

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.