'Biggest enemy of Korean soccer is the KFA,' lawmaker Song says

Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Song Young-gil criticized the Korea Football Association on Saturday, calling it "the biggest enemy of Korean soccer."

Writing on his social media account, Song said he "could only sigh throughout the World Cup matches," adding that "the outcome of this World Cup was a disaster foretold since the 2014 Brazil World Cup. The process was not fair from the start."

Song pointed to the controversy surrounding the 11th selection committee meeting that appointed head coach Hong Myung-bo. "Despite documents confirming the meeting took place, KFA President Chung Mong-gyu told the National Assembly the meeting never happened," he said. "Meanwhile, Kim Jung-bae, the standing vice president who attended the meeting, said it was an illegal meeting held by unqualified participants."

Song said Hong himself had in effect acknowledged that the legitimacy of his appointment process had been compromised. "But the bigger problem is that there is no sense of accountability whatsoever," he said. "It is hard to expect a future for Korean soccer from a KFA that has no process, no responsibility and no remorse."

"The reason soccer fans have turned their backs is not simply because of the results," Song said. "It is because the process was unfair, mistakes were not acknowledged, and no one took responsibility for the failures. The match against South Africa was no exception."

He said that even when a win was desperately needed, there were no substitutions or tactical changes — just the same approach repeated, with no adaptation to reality. What Korean soccer needs most right now, he said, is not a change of coach but a transformation of the KFA itself.

Song also invoked the legacy of Guus Hiddink, the Dutch coach who led South Korea to a semifinal finish at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. "Hiddink did not bow to the association," Song said. "He held to his own philosophy and stood up to vested interests when necessary. When everyone else talked only about technique, he stressed the importance of fitness and chose players on merit, not reputation. As a result, he discovered players including Park Ji-sung and wrote a new chapter in Korean soccer history."

"The biggest enemy of Korean soccer is not the opposing team," Song said. "It is a KFA built on cartels, unprincipled decisions and zero accountability. Soccer that has lost the trust of the people is no longer the people's soccer. A sweeping transformation is needed to return Korean soccer to the people."

Meanwhile, the national team under Hong finished the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with one win and two losses — three points — placing third in Group A and failing to secure a round-of-32 berth on their own. South Korea must wait on results from other groups to see whether they advance. On Saturday (Korean Standard Time), Belgium's victory over New Zealand and Iran's draw with Egypt pushed South Korea down to eighth place among the third-place teams competing for the remaining round-of-32 spots.