The Korean Football Association has completed the application review process for the interim coach who will lead the national football team. This week, the association will begin online interviews to expedite the search for the next interim coach.
On August 17, the association announced, "We completed the document eligibility review and result verification for the public recruitment of the interim coach and coaching staff over the weekend, and we have notified applicants of their acceptance or rejection status."
Online interviews will be conducted this week for those who passed the document review. However, the specific schedule for the interviews may vary based on coordination with the candidates.
Details regarding the list of candidates and the identities of those who passed the document review are kept strictly confidential. The association explained, "In consideration of privacy protection and the ongoing review process, we will not provide detailed information about the status of applicants or the identities of those who passed."
The position of the national team head coach is currently vacant. The team faced elimination in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America, leading to the resignation of former coach Hong Myung-bo. Following this, Korean Football Association President Chung Mong-kyu also stepped down. The association is facing significant challenges in the appointment process amid various issues, including a parliamentary hearing, police searches, and past controversies involving referee misconduct.
In this turbulent situation, the association held a board meeting on July 24 and approved the procedure for appointing an interim coach to manage A-match schedules from September to November. This recruitment will be conducted transparently in accordance with the National Sports Council's regulations on national team selection and operation.
A selection committee, which includes some members of the association's Strengthening Committee and external members, closed the application process on August 9 and selected candidates for interviews over the weekend. After the online interviews conclude this week, the committee will establish a priority ranking based on the results and begin negotiations with the top candidates, aiming to finalize the appointment by the end of the month.
The new interim coach will oversee a total of six A-matches scheduled for September (four games) and November (two games). The national team will face Ecuador on September 24, Uruguay on September 28, Venezuela on October 2, and Uzbekistan on October 6. Two additional friendly matches are also planned for November. The venues and kickoff times for these matches will be announced later.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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