Hong Myung-bo's Controversial Statement 2 Years Ago

Following the dismissal of head coach Jürgen Klinsmann in early 2024, procedural controversies arose during the appointment process of Hong Myung-bo as the national team coach. The controversy escalated when Park Joo-ho, a member of the Technical Development Committee, revealed details of the discussion process through YouTube. Subsequently, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that the relevant procedures and regulations were not followed, based on a special audit. When the Ministry demanded the suspension of Chairman Chung Mong-gyu and others, the Football Association filed a lawsuit, but the first court ruled that the Ministry's disciplinary action was lawful.

Hong Myung-bo's past remarks also fueled the anger of football fans. Hong, who had publicly rejected the national team coaching position during his tenure as Ulsan HD coach, faced criticism for suddenly accepting the role. At the time, he stated through his YouTube channel regarding being mentioned as a candidate for the national team coach position, "​It was painful because it spread without my consideration," and also commented that it was "​disrespectful" for his name to be brought up. Furthermore, before a K League match on June 30, 2024, he made remarks that seemed to dismiss the national team coaching rumors, saying, "​Our fans don't need to worry."

However, Hong Myung-bo's statements were reversed in just a week, and the Korea Football Association announced his appointment on July 7. In his first press conference after the appointment announcement, Hong apologized, saying, "I changed my mind about telling fans I wouldn't take the job. I am truly sorry," and at his inauguration press conference, he mentioned "​boundless regret and heavy responsibility for breaking my promise to K League fans." However, it was understood that in a Sports Ethics Center investigation in the latter half of 2024, he stated that he "​did not say he would not take the coaching position," implying he had not changed his words.

In the Sports Ethics Center investigation, Hong Myung-bo emphasized that he never stated he would not take the national team coaching position. He testified that he had only refrained from clearly stating his intention to take the job from around February 2024, as he was concerned about unsettling his team and fans while being mentioned as a candidate for the national team coach. Regarding the controversy over the unfairness of the appointment process, he stated, "​It is important to select the person needed for the national team, and I was evaluated as the top candidate by the committee and simply accepted the coaching position offered by the association," expressing his inability to understand why it appeared as if he received preferential treatment.

Jeong Hae-seong, who was the chairman of the Technical Development Committee at the time, reported Hong as the top candidate on June 27, 2024, and then suddenly resigned the following day. Subsequently, Technical Director Lee Eum-saeng led the follow-up procedures, and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism concluded that there were violations of regulations in this process. The Association countered that Director Lee completed the selection process due to Chairman Jeong's sudden resignation, but the football community widely believes that the background of Chairman Jeong's resignation is unclear. One football insider reported hearing directly from Chairman Jeong, "How can I explain all the inside story? I will let it go for now," while another insider raised the possibility that Chairman Jeong may have been under some kind of pressure to finalize Hong as the top candidate.