South Korean police raided the Korea Football Association (KFA) offices on August 6, 2026, as part of an obstruction of business investigation into the 2024 reappointment of former national coach Hong Myung-bo [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]. The raids targeted the KFA headquarters in Cheonan and the KFA House in central Seoul [6].
Hong, aged 57, was reappointed as South Korea’s national football team coach in July 2024 after a brief meeting that ended a prolonged search including foreign candidates [1, 4, 8]. The South Korean sports ministry had found in October 2024 that the KFA breached internal rules in appointing Hong and former coach Juergen Klinsmann, noting the technical director’s meeting with Hong was not a proper interview. However, no illegal conduct was identified by the ministry, and Hong’s contract remained valid at that time [1, 4, 8].
The police investigation focuses on whether senior KFA officials improperly interfered with the appointment process, breaching internal rules and causing obstruction of business [1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]. Earlier complaints filed by a civic group accused Hong and former KFA chief Chung Mong-kyu of obstruction of duties, breach of trust, coercion, and intimidation related to the appointment [6]. Police have questioned Hong as a suspect in the probe as of early August 2026 [6, 7, 9].
Hong resigned in June 2026 after South Korea’s disappointing exit at the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The team’s campaign ended with a shock 1-0 loss to South Africa in a tournament that Canadian and Korean media described as featuring a so-called “golden generation” of talented players [2, 3, 5, 7, 9]. At a parliamentary hearing in late July 2026, Hong took full responsibility for the team’s poor showing, stating, “I take full responsibility for the poor performance,” while denying he received any special treatment during the appointment process [1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9].
Public anger grew after Hong’s controversial decision to bench star player Son Heung-min during the first half of the critical match against South Africa. Fans booed Hong at the airport demanding his resignation, while players received applause [5, 7, 9]. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung criticized the football leadership publicly, blaming “incompetent people promoted to leadership” and pointing to “loyalty and factionalism” tainting recruitment at the sport’s top level [2, 5, 7, 9].
The ongoing investigation began approximately two years ago and has now escalated with the police raids and questioning [6]. MPs have claimed Hong’s salary as national coach was about 3.8 billion won (approximately S$3.3 million), a figure Hong disputed without disclosing the actual amount [5, 9].
Authorities continue to probe whether the KFA’s internal procedures were followed properly when reappointing Hong, with further police actions expected as the case develops.
