Beleaguered nat’l football coach Hong says he accepted job for greater good

Hong Myung-bo, beleaguered head coach of the South Korean men's national football team, said Monday he decided to accept the job not for any personal greed but for the greater good of the sport in the country. Hong held his inaugural press conference at the Korea Football Association (KFA) House in Seoul, 16 days after the national federation finalized his controversial hiring. When Hong was first named to the position on July 7, subject to approval by the KFA board of directors, the move raised eyebrows. Hong, who had been coaching the K League 1 club Ulsan HD FC at the time, had publicly spurned overtures from the KFA. He had also been openly critical of the KFA's drawn-out process of trying to fill the national team coaching vacancy, created after its dismissal of Jurgen Klinsmann in February. Attempts by the KFA to justify its hiring of Hong further angered the public, and detractors claimed the KFA had disregarded its own vetting process and given Hong preferential treatment over foreign-born candida tes. The sports ministry has launched an investigation into the KFA's operations. Hong himself has been under fire for reneging on an earlier pledge to Ulsan supporters that he would not leave the club midseason for the national team job. He apologized to fans of Ulsan and the K League at the onset of Monday's presser, saying, "I am sorry that my choice has disappointed people. "To be forgiven by fans, I will have to ensure the growth and development of the national team," Hong said. "I am feeling indebted." When explaining the KFA's decision to bring Hong aboard, Lee Lim-saeng, the KFA's technical director, had pointed out Hong's experience in coaching national teams in different age groups and in handling the administrative side of things. Lee argued that Hong would be the ideal coach to execute the KFA's technical philosophy and build connectivity between national teams across different age brackets. Hong, who previously coached the under-20 and under-23 national teams, echoed that point Monday. "Whi le coaching underage national teams and working as the KFA's executive director, I learned how much an organized youth system and identifying young talent could contribute to the development of Korean football," Hong said. "Based on this experience, I will try to put together a national team that can grow together with the K League, which represents the grassroots of our football. I will also actively search for and develop new talent. The senior men's team will play a lead role, and there will be positive connections between the K League and the youth system." Hong said he wanted to be the one trying to right the ship after South Korea crashed out of the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup in February, leading to Klinsmann's exit. "I thought someone had to do the work and decided this would be my last responsibility," he said. "It would have been nice to be celebrated at the start, and it's with a heavy heart that I am starting this job amid criticism and concern. But I will have to live with criticism, and I will always humbly accept it going forward." Hong said respect, communication, responsibility and sacrifice will be among the core values of his national team. "I will keep an open line of communication with players, because a lot of problems come from lack of communication," he said. "If players want to make changes, I will accept them. And they will have to be responsible for their choices on the pitch." As for his tactical style, Hong said, "It's important for us to win the possession battle and control the match. "We will have to be bold and aggressive with our ball possession. It has to be about breaking down the opponent," the coach continued. "We will be prepared against counterattacks and spend as little time as possible defending." Hong, who is signed through early 2027, said his goal for the 2026 FIFA World Cup would be to reach at least the round of 16. During his first stint with the national team, Hong couldn't get South Korea out of the group stage at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. T he first match of his second tour of duty will come in September for the third round of the Asian qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup. Hong acknowledged he was "a failure" as the head coach in 2014 and admitted to making questionable choices for his squad. "At the time, I was only picking players out of the K League, and I didn't know the type of players who could sacrifice for the team even if they may not have been big stars," Hong said. "I coached in the K League for 3 1/2 years, and I have a long list of key players and others who could replace them. I have an idea of who is going to make sacrifices for the team and who is going to be game changers. That's the major difference between now and 10 years ago." As for the type of players he will seek, Hong said he won't be tied to any particular style of players. "Anyone who plays well and is in good form can make the team," he added. "I will be flexible when scouting players here or in Europe." Source: Yonhap News Agency