There was no change in the decision of the Korea Football Association (KFA) despite the “decisive remarks” of Korean soccer legend Park Ji-sung (43), Jeonbuk technical director.
Park Ji-sung had an interview with reporters after finishing his program “MMCA Play: Junior Futsal” held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul on Tuesday. Regarding the recent appointment of Hong Myung-bo, Park did not hesitate to criticize the Korea Football Association (KFA).
“We have appointed Hong Myung-bo as the next coach of the Korean national soccer team,” the KFA said on Sunday. “We have officially appointed Hong Myung-bo as the coach of the Korean national soccer team through the approval of the board of directors. Coach Hong will begin to form a coaching staff,” the KFA said on Sunday.
The KFA set up a committee to strengthen its capacity and contacted numerous foreign coaches, and some showed keen interest in the post. However, the KFA chose Hong Myung-bo as its coach.
The decision was highly controversial. Park Joo-ho, a former member of the Korean national soccer team who joined the committee for strengthening his capacity, made enthusiastic remarks on his YouTube channel for about an hour, raising procedural issues.
Claiming that the allegation was distorted, the KFA said it would consider legal action. Not only Park Joo-ho but also several soccer figures, including Lee Young-pyo, pointed out problems that occurred in the process of appointing the KFA’s coach.
Park did not have much difference in his opinion. Park does not usually express his thoughts and opinions, but it was different on the day.
“The first thing I feel is sadness,” Park said. “I started playing soccer in Korea and I am still in the field of soccer. However, the first thing I thought was, ‘Isn’t this all we have?'” he said, expressing his disappointment toward the KFA.
He said, “I’m so sorry that I had to do this second time. As a soccer player, I’m facing a very sad situation, and my heart is quite broken.”
“The saddest thing is that there is no definite answer,” Park said. “Korean soccer has changed considerably through the 2002 World Cup, and I had expectations that it would change considerably in the future. But I got the answer as to what has changed since then.”
He then expressed great disappointment, saying, “I feel so miserable that I can’t say anything.”
Park Ji-sung said, “How far should this go? Working for the association means something to everyone, and it should be something that everyone wants to do. Now, it is becoming something that no one wants to do. He left a question of whether he could do the right thing if he got in there,” pointing out that the trust of the KFA has been destroyed.
It was his unique calm way of speaking, but the content was unstoppable. Park Ji-sung pointed out, “Based on the stories that have been released, I have an answer that I can’t come up with. We need to explain why we had to do that. I think there must be a reason for it, but it’s a problem that only insiders can know.”
“We need to come up with this solution and how to move on to the next stage,” he said, insisting, “We need to come up with this solution and say, “We can’t stop here and watch everyone finish Korean soccer.”
Park mentioned procedural issues. “The truth is the answer after all. You need to know the truth to have a solution. The trust of the association has already fallen, and it will take a long time for it to recover. Shouldn’t we move forward by telling the truth and telling the truth in order for the recovery to begin? As the promise to appoint a coach by following procedural steps has collapsed, not many people will accept it even if we tell the truth right away,” Park said.
He also mentioned Park Joo-ho, who recently revealed the process of appointing a coach. “I thought he must have felt quite helpless. It is true that his opinion cannot be accepted 100 percent at the meeting. However, the process did not proceed according to what I had discussed, and he must have felt quite helpless that he did not need to be there,” he said, expressing concern about his junior.
Park Ji-sung said, “If the administrative procedures are not transparent and there is no right system, we cannot properly utilize good talents,” adding, “The most unfortunate result is the situation in which we have to use those talents as a sacrifice.”
Korea has entered the “golden generation” of soccer players, led by Son Heung-min and Lee Jae-seong, who were born in 1992. Kim Min-jae, Hwang Hee-chan, and Hwang In-beom, who were born in 1996, are also included. Kim Min-jae, Hwang Hee-chan, and Hwang In-beom are entering their prime at age 27-28, while Son Heung-min is enjoying his prime at age 32. Park expressed regret over wasting their prime time.
Park also did not hesitate to criticize KFA Chairman Chung Mong-gyu. “The system has completely collapsed. Wasn’t it the last time we expected to set it straight five months ago?” he said.
Regarding the public opinion that Chairman Chung Mong-gyu will resign, he said, “It is true that it is quite difficult.” He then explained, “I honestly don’t know how far we can go under external pressure in the absence of regulations. It is clear that the chairman has to make his own choice.” 밤알바
Park expressed regret for his juniors and concern for the national team. “The decision remains to be made by the association and coach Hong Myung-bo to overturn the appointment. However, I am not sure whether I will be able to move forward easily under the current circumstances,” Park said. “My biggest thought (to my juniors) is that I am sorry. As a senior player, I should have allowed them to show off their skills in a better environment. Now that we are comprised of the best players in the history of Korean soccer, we cannot support that.”
“Not only our soccer players but also our fans will think that’s the most regrettable part,” he said.
Despite Park’s voice, the KFA did not change its decision. “The KFA held a written resolution on the appointment of Hong Myung-bo for the fourth time in 2024 for three days from May 10 to May 12. The case was approved with 21 approval out of 23,” the KFA said.
Coach Hong Myung-bo, who has officially begun his duties as the head coach of the national team, will start forming the national team coaching staff.
