The Korea Football Association (KFA) has formed a new National Team Technical Committee and released the list of its members. On the 27th, the KFA announced on its official website that Choi Young-il, Vice President of the Korea Football Association, has been appointed as the new chairman of the Technical Committee.
Additionally, the following individuals have been appointed as committee members to assist Chairman Choi: Han Jun-hee, KFA Vice President and commentator; Jung Jae-kwon, Head Coach of Hanyang University Football Team; Yoo Jong-hee, Executive Director of the Jeonbuk Football Association; Park Chul, K-League match supervisor; Baek Jong-seok, scout for FC Seoul; and Hwang In-sun, former head coach of the Women's U-20 National Team.
The newly appointed Chairman of the Technical Committee, Choi Young-il, was a member of the national team during the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States and the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. As a coach, he managed the Dong-A University football team and served as the head of the Korean National Football Team during the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. During his playing days, he was renowned as a defender for his dedicated marking of Japan's star player Kazuyoshi Miura.
This newly formed Technical Committee aims to support the Korean National Football Team under the recently established leadership of Coach Hong Myung-bo and will commence the selection process for the vacant positions of head coaches for the Women's National Football Team and the Men's U-23 National Football Team.
The KFA also stated that the term of the National Team Technical Committee's activities is until January next year, coinciding with the end of the current administration of Chairman Chung Mong-gyu. Should Chairman Chung fail to secure a fourth term, this Technical Committee will be dissolved. Therefore, with only four to five months remaining until the end of September, this committee will function for a relatively short period.
Korea Republic Squad for upcoming 2026 World Cup Qualifiers at September ⓒKorea Football Association
Football Bohemian Report
South Korea's national football team coach, Hong Myung-bo, has announced the squad for the upcoming Group B matches in the asian final qualifying rounds of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scheduled for September. This roster is particularly significant as it is the first one released since Hong took over as head coach. It features a notable inclusion of emerging talents who have been showcasing impressive performances in the K-League.
Among the new faces are Yang Min-hyeok, who recently confirmed his move to Tottenham Hotspur, Hwang Moon-ki, a right-back from Gangwon FC, Choi Woo-jin, a left-back from Incheon United, and Lee Han-beom, a center-back who has been developing well at FC Midtjylland. Overall, this selection maintains key players from the existing national team while integrating new talent that Hong and his staff have scouted and assessed as having potential, a move that could be seen as a positive step forward.
One area of particular interest highlighted by Football Bohemian is the left-back position. Kim Jin-su, who has recently been going through a challenging period for various reasons, has not been called up this time. This leaves the left-back position open to competition between Lee Myung-jae, a "veteran rookie" with only one national team appearance, and Choi Woo-jin, who is making his debut for the national team. Who will earn Coach Hong's favor?
The Hong Myung-bo-led team will kick off their final qualifying campaign in Group B with a match against Palestine on September 5 at 8:00 PM at Seoul World Cup Stadium. The second match will be an away fixture against Oman at Sultan Qaboos Stadium in Muscat, starting at 1:00 AM (Korean time) on September 11. The team is set to convene on September 2 for their first official training session at Goyang Sports Complex.
Hong Myung Bo's Korean Mentioned @KFA Social Media
Football Bohemian here.
Hong Myung-bo, the new head coach of the South Korean national soccer team, has finally held his inauguration press conference. It’s been three weeks since the Korea Football Association announced on July 8, 2024, that Hong would be the 75th head coach of the national team. Now, they are officially marking the start of his tenure.
Many people were curious about how Hong would address the situation now that he has officially taken the reins of the national team. Given the terrible atmosphere, with some even mentioning a parliamentary audit, there were doubts about whether this interview could provide any hope for change. Indeed, the reaction after the press conference was very negative. Here are some of the key points from his speech and my thoughts on them. The most questionable comment came right at the beginning.
Apologizing to Ulsan and K-League Fans, but Promising to Make It Up with National Team Success?
"Hello, I am Hong Myung-bo, the head coach of the South Korean national soccer team. Before I begin, I want to apologize for the various controversies over the past five months. I stand here with a heavy heart, feeling sorry for breaking promises to K-League fans."
“I want to apologize and ask for forgiveness from the Ulsan HD fans who have given me great support. I was able to rise again as a coach thanks to the passionate support of Ulsan fans. I am deeply sorry for disappointing you with my recent decision. I humbly accept any criticism and blame from Ulsan and K-League fans. The only way to earn forgiveness is by leading the national team to growth and success. I will take on this responsibility with a greater sense of duty.”
Hong began his speech by bowing to K-League and Ulsan fans. This was his response to reversing his earlier public declaration that he wouldn’t take the job. From Football Bohemian’s perspective, Hong's response seems to be a classic example of what not to do these days. If he had ended by saying he would accept any criticism and blame, that might have been enough.
Promising to make up for it with the success of the national team? While it’s true that the K-League and the national team are interconnected within the broader context of South Korean football, it’s hard to understand why he made this argument. It's clear that the K-League is the foundation for the national team's success, but it’s also true that good results for the national team can positively affect the K-League.
However, this does not justify the K-League sacrificing for the national team. Frankly speaking, most Ulsan fans who feel they've lost Hong to the national team are likely thinking, "What does it matter to us how the national team performs?"
Considering the noisy process and the controversies around broken promises and lies involving Hong, many K-League fans will probably think that even if the national team succeeds, it’s a win for Hong and the national team, not for the K-League or Ulsan. In fact, the national team, which should receive everyone's support, is now seen with hostility. Asking fans to support the national team for the sake of South Korean football may only generate more rejection.
The current situation is unfortunate. Personally, I hoped Hong Myung-bo would get another chance to lead the national team someday.
I was on the ground covering the 2014 World Cup in Brazil for Football Bohemian. Back then, the national team was heavily criticized for favoritism and other off-field issues, and I wrote many critical articles myself. However, as time passed, I came to understand him a bit more.
Hong had less than a year to prepare for the World Cup. Facing such a massive task with such a short preparation time, he probably felt he had to rely on players he knew well. Although it ended in failure, I realized that his choices, at least from his perspective, might have been the safest bet to increase the chances of success. Despite harsh criticism, he might have been trying to unify the team against external adversities.
Therefore, if Hong Myung-bo were to take the helm of the national team again, I hoped for two preconditions. First, ample preparation time. Second, the team should be launched with public support. These two factors were missing in his first tenure, leading to its failure. I was curious to see what kind of results he could achieve with these conditions. However, it seems things have gone wrong from the start this time. As he mentioned, this might be his last chance.
Of course, the future is uncertain. Hong Myung-bo might succeed despite the criticism and worries. But whether that success will be seen as a win for South Korean football, K-League, and Ulsan fans is another matter. Any future success of the national team may be seen as Hong Myung-bo's personal redemption and victory. And that’s precisely why many people opposed this type of appointment.
One more thing, every match from now on will be an opportunity to criticize him. If the team wins with good performance, people might say it's because of the players or luck or the weakness of the opponents. If the team draws or loses, all blame will fall on Hong's appointment. This situation is why you shouldn't take charge of a team, whether it's a club or the national team, if it means you’ll be blamed no matter what.
But Hong has staked his career on saving South Korean football. He has pledged to give his all for the country, but few appreciate it. Some even mock him as a narcissist who thinks only he can do the job.
To Hong Myung-bo, I want to say: Please win and succeed. You must to do this. The criticism may never stop, but success could at least lower its volume. Still, expect the criticism to be harsh.
