[Edaily Reporter LEE YOU-RIM ] Former Korea Football Association (KFA) President Chung Mong-kyu and other key KFA officials at the time have been referred to prosecutors on charges of improperly interfering in the 2024 appointment of former coach Hong Myung-bo as head coach of the national soccer team and obstructing the board of directors’ duties.

Police determined that these individuals distributed a deliberation document containing false information to the board of directors to conceal irregularities in the head coach selection process and thereby secure a vote in their favor.

The Financial Crimes Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Metropolitan Investigation Division announced on the 22nd that it had referred three individuals—former KFA President Chung Mong-kyu, former Chief Technical Director Lee Im-saeng, and former Executive Vice President Kim Jeong-bae—to prosecutors without detention on charges of obstruction of business through fraud. Former head coach Hong, who was also accused, was not referred due to insufficient evidence of direct involvement.

They are accused of improperly intervening in the National Team Strengthening Committee during the selection process for the national team head coach in July 2024, and then obstructing the board of directors’ legitimate duties in appointing the head coach by drafting and distributing board agenda items containing false information to conceal their actions.

In particular, the investigation revealed that the suspects shared a “common purpose” to create the appearance that proper procedures had been followed, likely out of concern over the controversies regarding procedural fairness that had arisen during the previous appointment of former head coach Jürgen Klinsmann.

According to the police, the agenda distributed to the board at the time contained a statement to the effect that Jeong Hae-seong, then-chairman of the National Team Strengthening Committee, had resigned and requested that the Football Association handle the subsequent coach selection process.

However, the police investigation revealed that former Chairman Jeong had neither requested the KFA to handle the follow-up work nor delegated any relevant authority to the KFA at the time of his resignation.

The authority of former Director Lee was also misrepresented. Although former Director Lee had no authority to recommend a head coach, the agenda item portrayed him as having been granted legitimate authority to carry out the head coach selection process.

A police official stated, “Upon verifying the facts, we found that neither claim was true,” adding, “If the document had stated that the appointment process had not been fully completed, the Board of Directors would not have passed the resolution.” The official further explained, “The act of deceiving the Board of Directors and leading it into error constitutes fraud.” The Korea Football Association was identified as the entity responsible for creating the false document.

Furthermore, the police determined that the KFA’s executive leadership had improperly interfered with the entire prescribed process, including by continuously monitoring the proceedings of the National Team Strengthening Committee meetings. According to the KFA’s National Team Operations Regulations, the head coach of the senior national team is to be appointed by the board of directors following a recommendation from the National Team Strengthening Committee.

The police investigated approximately 60 individuals involved, including members of the National Team Strengthening Committee and former Chairman Jeong, and conducted raids on the Korea Football Association’s offices and other locations. They secured the National Team Strengthening Committee’s meeting minutes, audit materials from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and electronic data from cell phones to examine the coach appointment process and the circumstances surrounding the Board of Directors’ resolution following former Chairman Jeong’s resignation. Former Vice Chairman Kim, who had initially been considered a witness, was also reclassified as a suspect after evidence confirmed his role in drafting a false agenda item, and he was referred to prosecutors along with the others.

The police investigated a total of nine complaints related to the Korea Football Association, but only the charges of obstruction of business regarding the head coach appointment were referred for prosecution. After eight cases under investigation by the Jongno Police Station were transferred to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Financial Crime Investigation Division, one additional complaint was filed; however, the remaining cases were all dismissed.

The police also investigated △coercion and obstruction of business in the appointment process of former head coach Klinsmann; △breach of trust in connection with the payment of annual salaries to former head coaches Klinsmann and Hong Myung-bo; and △defamation related to the external disclosure of the altercation between players Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in, but found no grounds for charges.

In particular, regarding the breach of trust allegations related to the payment of former coach Hong’s salary, the police determined that it was difficult to conclude that the Korea Football Association had suffered clear financial loss, and that it was difficult to conclusively establish that former Chairman Jung and others had acted with intent to commit breach of trust. The remaining complaints were also not referred to the prosecution because it was deemed unlikely that criminal charges could be substantiated or because there was insufficient evidence.