Police reopen probe into Hong Myung-bo appointment, question football federation panel

Police are moving to question members of the Korea Football Association's technical committee as part of an ongoing investigation into whether proper procedures were followed in appointing Hong Myung-bo as the national team's head coach.

Investigators plan to summon the committee members as witnesses to examine the appointment process and decision-making procedures, and intend to question officials from the KFA's board of directors in turn.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's wide-area investigation unit recently notified football figures who served on the technical committee in 2024 to appear for questioning as witnesses, according to sources.

Police plan to determine whether Hong's appointment deviated from established selection procedures and regulations. They also intend to re-examine how the committee reached its decision to recommend Hong as its top candidate.

In addition to the technical committee, police plan to summon officials from the KFA's board of directors — the committee's supervising body — as witnesses. Investigators have been pursuing the case since July 2024, when Hong was appointed and related complaints were filed, but have yet to reach a conclusion after roughly two years.

The case was reassigned to the wide-area investigation unit earlier this month after the Jongno Police Station, which had handled it first, failed to make meaningful progress.