Rep. Song Young-gil of the Democratic Party of Korea launched a sharp attack on the Korea Football Association, using the national team's poor performance as an occasion. He once again raised questions about the legality of the process behind coach Hong Myung-bo's appointment and called for a sweeping overhaul of the association.
"A Disaster Foreseen Since 2014"...Appointment Documents Controversy Resurfaces
In a post on social media Thursday, Song wrote, "The biggest enemy of Korean soccer is the Korea Football Association," adding, "I could not help but sigh throughout this World Cup match."
Targeting the Korea Football Association, he said, "This World Cup result was a disaster already foreseen since the 2014 Brazil World Cup. The process itself was not fair."
He also brought up again the issue of illegality in Hong Myung-bo's appointment process. "Although documents exist regarding the problematic 11th meeting that appointed coach Hong Myung-bo, Korea Football Association President Chung Mong-gyu explained at the National Assembly that the meeting itself never took place," he said. "On the other hand, Kim Jung-bae, the standing vice president who attended the meeting at the time, lamented that it was an unqualified, illegal meeting."
He continued, "Coach Hong himself also effectively acknowledged that the legitimacy of the appointment process had been damaged," and argued, "But the bigger problem is that there isn't even any awareness of the problem. It is difficult to expect a future for Korean soccer from a Korea Football Association that has no procedure, no accountability and no reflection."
He also raised his voice over the reasons fans have turned away. "The reason Korean soccer fans have turned their backs is not simply because of results," he wrote. "It is because the process was not fair, mistakes were not admitted, and no one took responsibility even for failures." He added, "This South Africa match was no exception."
The Korean national team lost 0-1 to South Africa in their group-stage match held at Monterrey Stadium in Mexico on Tuesday, conceding a goal in the 63rd minute.
"No Future Without Association Reform"...Calls for Sweeping Change
Song offered an overhaul of the entire association as his prescription.
"What Korean soccer needs most right now is not the replacement of a single coach, but the reform of the Korea Football Association," he said. "The biggest enemy of Korean soccer is not the opposing team. It is the cartel, the lack of principle and the unaccountable Korea Football Association."
In closing, he raised his voice, saying, "A sweeping transformation is needed to return Korean soccer to the people," and added, "Disasters do not repeat by chance. They repeat when a flawed system is left unchecked."
