South Korean police have intensified investigations into the Korea Football Association (KFA) over the controversial appointment of former national team head coach Hong Myung-bo, raiding the federation’s offices as part of a probe into alleged irregularities in the recruitment process. The investigation comes in the aftermath of South Korea’s disappointing 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign, which ended with a group-stage exit.
According to police, investigators conducted search-and-seizure operations at the KFA headquarters in Cheonan and the federation’s administrative offices in Seoul. Authorities are examining allegations of obstruction of business, focusing on claims that senior KFA officials improperly influenced Hong’s appointment in July 2024, bypassing established recruitment procedures.
Hong Myung-bo resigned as national team coach in June 2026 after South Korea failed to progress beyond the group stage of the World Cup despite entering the tournament with a squad widely regarded as one of the country’s strongest in recent years. During a parliamentary hearing held last week, Hong denied receiving any preferential treatment in his appointment while accepting responsibility for the team’s poor performance at the tournament.
The controversy surrounding Hong’s appointment predates the World Cup. In 2024, South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism concluded that the KFA breached its own internal procedures during the appointments of both Hong and his predecessor, Jürgen Klinsmann, although the ministry said it found no evidence of criminal conduct or grounds to invalidate the contracts. The World Cup failure, however, has renewed public scrutiny of the federation’s leadership and decision-making process.
As investigations continue, no criminal charges have been announced against Hong or KFA officials. The police say the probe is aimed at determining whether the appointment process involved unlawful interference or procedural misconduct. The KFA has yet to issue a detailed response to the latest police action, while pressure continues to mount from lawmakers, football supporters and the South Korean public for greater accountability within the federation.
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