Overview
- Seoul police carried out search‑and‑seizure operations at KFA offices in Cheonan and central Seoul on Thursday and seized documents, computers and phones as they investigate alleged obstruction of business tied to Hong Myung‑bo’s July 2024 appointment.
- Authorities are probing whether senior officials, including former KFA president Chung Mong‑gyu and former technical director Lee Lim‑saeng, improperly intervened in the selection process by bypassing the federation’s formal hiring procedures.
- Hong resigned after South Korea’s early exit from the 2026 World Cup and was questioned by police this week as a suspect in the ongoing investigation into the appointment.
- A previously compiled 2016 government audit surfaced in reporting this week showing the KFA used corporate cards to pay for sexual entertainment for visiting referees in 2011–2012, a revelation that intensified public outrage and contributed to parliamentary scrutiny.
- The KFA has apologized and promised sweeping reforms, while investigators continue gathering evidence and no criminal charges have yet been announced, with FIFA rules and statute‑of‑limitations issues likely to shape any wider disciplinary fallout.