South Korea's association is under fire

As a result, South Korean police searched the association's offices and seized documents and electronic data.

According to several news agencies, the case centers on Hong’s appointment as national team coach in July 2024. The 57-year-old had previously coached the national team at the 2014 World Cup, but failed to lead them to success at that time. Following his return, observers criticized him for not having gone through the entire application process as required.

The case took on new significance following South Korea’s early elimination from this year’s World Cup. The national team, known as the “Red Devils,” was eliminated in the group stage after a series of disappointing performances. Hong resigned as national team coach shortly thereafter.

The criticism did not subside as a result. President Lee Jae Myung also called for action. On the platform X, he stated that the team’s performance was not only surprisingly poor, but downright absurd. He attributed the failure to shortcomings in organization and personnel management.