Sports Association to Face Probe Over 30 Billion Won in Annual Funding... Hong Myung-bo Appointment Process to Be Reinvestigated from Scratch

[Financial News] The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has launched a sweeping overhaul of the Korea Football Association, which has been blamed for South Korea's poor performance at the 2026 World Cup in North and Central America. The ministry plans to reinvestigate the entire appointment process of former national team coach Hong Myung-bo from the beginning and hold those responsible accountable both administratively and legally.
According to government sources on the 30th, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has begun preparations to launch an investigation committee made up of internal and external experts with experience in football administration.
The move follows remarks by Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-young the previous day, when he said, "We will form an investigation committee and hold the football association accountable."
The committee's first task will be to examine whether the hundreds of billions of won in public funds flowing into the football association are being spent properly.
The KFA's annual budget currently stands at between 130 billion won and 150 billion won. About 20% of that comes from taxpayers' money and public funds.
Based on this year's figures, nearly 30 billion won in state funds is being injected when Sports Toto revenue, the National Sports Promotion Fund, and government subsidies are combined.
That is a stark contrast to football powerhouses such as Germany, France, and the United States, which operate without government support. Their associations finance their budgets through their own businesses, including major brand sponsorships and ticket sales.
By contrast, the Korea Football Association is now under fire for wasting large sums of public money while also causing administrative failures and poor results.
The process of appointing former coach Hong Myung-bo, which has been at the center of controversy, will also be reviewed.
Earlier, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism demanded disciplinary action against 16 executives, including a severe penalty of at least a suspension of qualifications for KFA President Jung Mong-gyu, through a special audit of the football association in November 2024. The audit findings also included corrective, disciplinary, and cautionary measures over nine issues, including an improper process in Hong's appointment.
The football association responded by filing a lawsuit against the ministry to cancel the special audit results and corrective orders, escalating the dispute into a legal battle. In particular, Jung, who won a suspension of the disciplinary request from the court in February last year, secured a fourth consecutive term that same month. However, as pressure mounted for him to step down after the World Cup setback, he said last month, "I will step down once the tournament is over."
Meanwhile, the Red Devils, the official supporters' group of South Korea's national football team, issued a statement on the day, saying, "We will use every means available to fight until the entrenched forces that are undermining Korean football are completely removed," and called for a sweeping personnel overhaul.sms@fnnews.com Sung Min-seo Reporter