Korea Football Association issues apology amid coach hiring dispute and referee scandal

The Korea Football Association (KFA) released a public apology acknowledging multiple controversies that have plagued the body since South Korea’s group-stage elimination at the 2026 World Cup. Head coach Hong Myung-bo stepped down after a 1-0 defeat to South Africa, but his resignation did not quell public anger over the opaque hiring process that began in 2024. A police raid on KFA headquarters and a parliamentary hearing on July 30 brought renewed focus on the matter, while a previously undisclosed 2016 government audit exposed that the KFA had provided sexual entertainment to foreign referees and Chinese Football Association officials on eight occasions in 2011-12.

The association claimed many officials were unaware of the incidents and pledged that such behavior has ended. The apology highlighted the KFA’s acknowledgment of a “truly deplorable situation” and a loss of focus on its core responsibilities.