Culture minister calls for fundamental reform of Korean football

Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-young said Sunday that the time has come to forge a fundamental solution to the problems plaguing Korean football, following the national team's elimination from the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Writing on social media Sunday, Choi said it was time to "consolidate the countless discussions we have had — about where things started to go wrong and what has held us back at the root — and come up with a fundamental alternative."

After the team's group-stage exit was confirmed that day, Choi wrote that he was "so deeply disappointed" and had "just stared blankly at the sky, not knowing what to do with the frustration." He added that Korean football had "fallen into a quagmire" and must "pull itself together and start over from the bottom."

"Until the day the hearts of the people come together again, the government will step up and take care of everything it can," he wrote. "Korean football has fallen, but it will surely rise again."

The national team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, finished third in Group A with one win and two losses for three points, failing to secure one of the eight third-place berths that would have advanced them to the round of 32.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, which oversees the Korea Football Association, had been scrutinizing the KFA's problems since 2024. It launched an audit that July over the controversy surrounding Hong's appointment as national team head coach, and in November 2024 called for heavy disciplinary action against KFA President Chung Mong-gyu.

The KFA challenged the ministry's decision, filing a lawsuit to have the disciplinary measure overturned and obtaining a court order to suspend its enforcement. Chung subsequently secured a fourth consecutive term as president.

In April, however, the Seoul Administrative Court ruled that the ministry's disciplinary action was justified, finding against the KFA. Chung announced last month that he would step down as president after the World Cup.