South Korean football is reeling from the fallout of its disastrous exit from the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Following the team's poor performance, head coach Hong Myung-bo resigned, and a National Assembly hearing will investigate the administrative issues within the Korea Football Association (KFA). Additionally, South Korea's FIFA ranking has plummeted outside the top 30, significantly shaking the country's football status.
Previously, the South Korean national team finished the group stage with one win and two losses, failing to advance to the knockout round. This marked the first group stage exit since the 2018 Russia World Cup, and the team received its lowest-ever ranking of 34th in the expanded tournament featuring 48 teams.
As a result, Hong stepped down on June 29, taking responsibility for the World Cup failure. His resignation came 717 days after he was officially appointed as head coach in July 2024. He did not complete his contract, which was set to last until the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. During a press conference, Hong stated, "I could not deliver the results that the public expected. The responsibility lies entirely with me as the coach."
Following Hong's resignation, calls for accountability within the KFA intensified. Concerns about procedural integrity and allegations of opaque administration resurfaced, particularly regarding the KFA's coach selection process, which was found to be dysfunctional. The committee responsible for evaluating candidates lost its effectiveness, as former committee head Jeong Hae-sung recommended Hong as the top candidate without a proper interview process. Furthermore, Lee Im-sang, the former technical director, conducted a solo interview with Hong late at night without any oversight or pre-prepared questions, leading to criticism of the KFA's disregard for its internal regulations.
In response, the National Assembly's Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee will hold hearings to scrutinize the KFA's operations and the coach selection process. On July 21, the committee decided to postpone the originally scheduled hearing from July 22 to July 30, aiming for full participation from both ruling and opposition members to address public concerns.
Fifteen witnesses, including former KFA president Jeong Mong-kyu, former coach Hong, and former technical director Lee, are expected to face intense questioning regarding the selection process. Hong has expressed his willingness to attend the hearing, stating, "If there is a hearing, I must explain the World Cup results to the public, and I am the one who should be there. I will speak the truth and will not evade any questions."
In contrast, former KFA vice president Park Hang-seo, now coaching in Thailand's second division, will provide written responses due to scheduling conflicts. Additionally, other witnesses, including Park Ji-sung, co-chair of the K-Football Innovation Committee, and committee members Park Joo-ho and Lee Young-pyo, are also expected to be absent.
The chaos surrounding the leadership and administration during the World Cup has directly impacted South Korea's international football standing. According to FIFA's world rankings released on July 21, South Korea has dropped to 32nd place with 1,558.72 ranking points, a significant fall from 25th before the tournament.
FIFA rankings are calculated based on match results, with weight given to different tournaments. The World Cup carries the highest weight, and South Korea lost substantial ranking points after consecutive defeats to Mexico and South Africa in the group stage.
This marks the first time South Korea has fallen outside the FIFA top 30 since December 2021 (33rd). Among Asian countries, South Korea now ranks fourth, behind Japan (17th), Iran (22nd), and Australia (28th).
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.