Korea Sports Minister Vows Sweeping Overhaul of Football After World Cup Exit

Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-young said he will form a committee to investigate the cause of the South Korean national football team's disappointing elimination in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be held in North and Central America. As a result, a strong overhaul of the Korea Football Association (KFA) and other bodies is expected to follow.

In a post on his social media account around noon Friday, Minister Choi said, "I am reporting after receiving (President Lee Jae-myung's) instructions a short while ago," adding, "I will push forward a sweeping overhaul of football administration with speed and determination, so that the hope and pride of all the people can be revived."

Choi also said, "I will have experts form a committee to thoroughly investigate the cause of this devastating result, and I will sternly hold those responsible for any incompetence and mismanagement revealed in the process accountable."

He went on to say, "I will thoroughly provide administrative guidance and build a system that allows for public oversight and checks, so that the Football Association will in the future be operated transparently and fairly by football people and faithfully fulfill its inherent role and function." He added, "Using the setback and pain we have experienced this time as an opportunity, I will spare no investment and support to fundamentally reexamine and redesign the paradigm of Korean football, from our youth development system to strengthening referee capabilities and supporting advanced technology infrastructure."

Earlier Friday, in a post on his social media, Choi said, "It is time to determine where things began to go wrong, what was the root cause that held us back, and to organize the countless discussions we have had so far and create fundamental alternatives."

Against this backdrop, when President Lee Jae-myung pledged sports administration reform Friday morning, saying on social media that he felt "more than embarrassment — a sense of absurdity at the unexpected result," Choi again responded via social media.

In his earlier post that day, President Lee pointed out, "This failure to qualify for the World Cup finals, which has left the people dejected, appears to have been caused by failures in organization and personnel," adding, "If you value taking sides over ability and select an incompetent person as a commander, the result is as clear as day."

President Lee said, "I will swiftly push forward sports administration reform so that this kind of incident does not recur," and instructed, "As a great deal of taxpayers' money and national support capabilities are invested in World Cup participation, I ask the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to meticulously examine the precise situation of this incident, analyze its causes, and prepare measures to prevent recurrence and make improvements."

The South Korean national team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, finished third in Group A with one win and two losses for three points in this tournament. The team failed to secure a ticket to the round of 32 — given to the top eight among the third-place teams from each group — and was eliminated.