Korea Football Association's national team committee holds first meeting on new coach: 'Stability is top priority'

The Korea Football Association convened the first meeting of its national team performance enhancement committee to discuss the appointment of a new head coach following what has been dubbed the "World Cup disaster."

The KFA held the committee session Thursday to address the vacancy left by the national team's group-stage elimination at the 2026 North America World Cup.

The association said the meeting covered a broad range of considerations, including the schedule for upcoming A-match fixtures, the timeline for the presidential election and preparations for the Asian Cup.

"The committee reviewed the direction of the coaching appointment from multiple angles," the KFA said. "We will continue discussions at future meetings, with securing stability in national team operations as our top priority."

The current committee's chair and members were appointed in May last year. Under the association's bylaws, they were reappointed in May this year following a formal consent process.

With KFA President Chung Mong-gyu having announced he will step down after this World Cup, the association said it is engaged in "multifaceted and in-depth deliberation" over the government's push — listed as the first task of its "national normalization project" — to introduce a direct election system for the KFA presidency.

The KFA added that under its bylaws, a presidential election must be held within 60 days of a vacancy. "The election system must be grounded in compliance with the association's bylaws, while also not conflicting with the statutes of FIFA and the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, both of which have authority over the KFA," it said.

The association also said it would "use the failure of this tournament as a lesson, and with deep reflection and introspection, prepare anew for the future of Korean football."