As Hong Myung-bo's national team was eliminated from the group stage of the North-Central America World Cup, calls for reform in domestic football have emerged from the political sphere.
According to the Democratic Party of Korea on Saturday, Rep. Song Young-gil wrote on social media Friday that "the biggest enemy of Korean football is the Korea Football Association." He claimed, "I could not help but lament throughout this World Cup," adding that "the results of this World Cup were a disaster already foreseen since the 2014 Brazil World Cup."
Song pointed to problems beginning with the coach selection process. "The process was not fair from the start," he said. "Despite documents existing regarding the controversial 11th meeting that appointed Hong Myung-bo as coach, KFA Chairman Chung Mong-gyu explained at the National Assembly that the meeting itself never took place. On the other hand, Kim Jung-bae, the standing vice president who attended the meeting at the time, confessed that it was an unqualified, illegal meeting."
He continued, "Coach Hong Myung-bo himself also effectively acknowledged that the legitimacy of the appointment process had been damaged," adding, "But the bigger problem is the fact that there isn't even any awareness of the problem. It is difficult to expect a future for Korean football from a Korea Football Association that has no procedures, no accountability, and no reflection."
Song went on to criticize, "From the appointment and dismissal of coach Klinsmann, the failure to qualify for the Paris Olympics, the controversial appointment of coach Hong Myung-bo, to the push for amnesty related to match-fixing. A history of incompetence and lack of principle has been endlessly repeated." He said this was "because the process was not fair, mistakes were not acknowledged, and no one took responsibility for failures."
Song argued that reform of the Korea Football Association is necessary.
"If it cannot be solved by overhauling it, then it must be boldly torn down and rebuilt," he stressed. "The Korea Football Association has now reached a point where it needs that level of major surgery."
He continued, "Chairman Chung Mong-gyu says he will resign once this World Cup is over, but this is not something that can end with a resignation, nor is it something that can be resolved by fixing a few regulations. A great transformation is needed to return Korean football to the people. Disasters do not repeat by chance; they repeat when a flawed system is left unattended."
