KFA Chair denies unfair hiring of national coach

Korea Football Association chief Chung Mong-gyu on Tuesday denied any attempts to plot a “scheme or cover up the truth,” in the hiring of men’s national football team head coach Hong Myung-bo, which has been under suspicion of irregularities. He was summoned to testify before the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee on the allegations that the KFA hired the 55-year-old star football player-turned-coach in July as the head coach of the men’s squ

Sept. 24, 2024

Nexon to host exhibition match featuring soccer legends in Seoul next month

Nexon, the developer behind popular soccer video games FC Online and FC Mobile, said Monday it will host a real-life exhibition match featuring retired soccer legends, including Didier Drogba, Kaka and Rio Ferdinand, at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Oct. 19 and 20. The Icon Match is a collaboration between Nexon and the Korean soccer YouTube channel Shoot for Love. It will showcase former star players featured in Nexon’s games as part of the Icon Class -- a collection of legendary soccer play

Sept. 23, 2024

Assembly to review disputed appointment of national soccer team coach

The controversy-ridden appointment of men's national soccer team head coach Hong Myung-bo will be reviewed by the National Assembly on Tuesday morning, during the sports committee's assessment of the current issues in the sports circles. Hong, Korea Football Association chief Chung Mong-gyu, and KFA Technical Director Lee Lim-saeng who headed the coaching selection, were chosen to be witnesses in the questioning by the members of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee. The

Sept. 22, 2024

Ex-Premier Leaguer Lingard apologizes for unlicensed e-scooter riding

FC Seoul’s soccer player Jesse Lingard posted an apology Tuesday for riding an electric scooter without having a driver’s license or wearing a helmet. Lingard revealed a video on his Instagram story with the caption “Safety first always,” where he said “Obviously I was on an e-scooter yesterday, I was driving around for a couple of minutes on an e-scooter. The policy, you know, I didn’t know the rules of the policy of wearing a helmet, of having a license as w

Sept. 18, 2024

'Keep IU off the grass': Soccer fans oppose K-pop concerts at World Cup Stadium

  From Madison Square Garden in New York to Wembley Stadium in London, the biggest sports arenas and stadiums in major cities often double as concert venues. But holding concerts at Seoul World Cup Stadium is being challenged by some soccer fans complaining that nonsports events there have crucial detrimental effects on the field. A self-proclaimed fan of Son Heung-min on Sept. 11 posted a petition on the state-run e-People website, calling for the cancellation of the K-pop superstar IU's c

Sept. 17, 2024

Hong struggles to prove himself despite World Cup qualifier win

South Korean team captain Son Heung-min rescued his team late in the second half of their World Cup qualification match against Oman on Tuesday, putting his team into the lead for a much-needed away win. Despite Son's heroics, pundits and fans alike have raised doubts about the head coach Hong Myung-bo's leadership of what could be Korea's strongest-ever collection of soccer talent. The team had a shaky start with a goalless draw at home against minnows Palestine in its first Gr

Sept. 16, 2024

Suwon FC terminate contract with banned midfielder Son Jun-ho

Suwon FC announced Friday they have terminated their contract with Son Jun-ho, three days after the Chinese Football Association slapped the midfielder with a lifetime ban for match fixing. The CFA banned Son for participating in illegal transactions and manipulating matches while playing for Shandong Taishan FC in the top Chinese league from 2021 to 2023. Son was detained by the Chinese police in May 2023 over bribery allegations and was released in March this year. In a teary press conferenc

Sept. 13, 2024

Natl. football coach shoots down criticism of overreliance on stars

With South Korea having notched their first win in the ongoing Asian World Cup qualification round, head coach Hong Myung-bo on Thursday pushed back against the notion that he is relying too heavily on a few star players without doing much tactical work. Hong returned home Thursday evening after coaching South Korea to a 3-1 victory over Oman in a Group B match of the third Asian World Cup qualification round in Muscat on Tuesday. It came on the heels of a goalless draw against Palestine in Seou

Sept. 12, 2024

Hit with lifetime ban, football player Son Jun-ho claims innocence, says China forced him to admit fake charges

South Korean football player Son Jun-ho on Wednesday denied match-fixing and bribery charges levied on him by China, claiming that Chinese authorities coerced him into admitting bogus accusations in exchange for an early release that never came. Son, currently midfielder for the South Korean side Suwon FC, held an emotional press conference a day after the Chinese Football Association (CFA) slapped him with a lifetime ban for manipulating matches for illegal gains. Son, who played for Shandong T

Sept. 11, 2024

S. Korean midfielder Son Jun-ho banned for life by China over match-fixing charges

South Korean football player Son Jun-ho was hit with a lifetime ban by the Chinese national football body Tuesday over match-fixing charges. According to Chinese media reports, Zhang Xiaopeng, a senior official from the Ministry of Public Security, announced the findings of a two-year investigation that revealed online gambling, match-fixing and bribery cases. Chinese Football Association (CFA) president Song Kai confirmed 43 people have been banned for life from football-related activities, wit

Sept. 10, 2024

S. Korea coach thinking about nothing but victory over Oman in World Cup qualifier

South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo said Monday he is bracing for a tough World Cup qualifying match against Oman away from home but he is not about to settle for anything less than a victory. South Korea and Oman will clash Tuesday for their second Group B match in the third round of the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The match at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat kicks off at 6 p.m. local time, or 11 p.m. in South Korea. South Korea, world No. 23, got their third round

Sept. 9, 2024

S. Korea defender Kim Min-jae apologizes for action after recent World Cup qualifier

South Korean center back Kim Min-jae on Monday apologized for his action following a recent World Cup qualifying match against Palestine in Seoul, where he clashed with some fans over their booing. South Korea settled for a goalless draw against Palestine to begin the third round last Thursday in Seoul, despite being 73 spots higher than their opponent in the FIFA rankings at No. 23. Nearly 60,000 fans that flocked to Seoul World Cup Stadium booed South Korea's head coach, Hong Myung-bo, du

Sept. 9, 2024

Natl. football team's sellout streak ends as fans express displeasure

South Korea failed to sell out their World Cup qualifying match in Seoul on Thursday, the first time since October last year that the Taegeuk Warriors did not play in front of a full house at home. The Korea Football Association (KFA) said about 4,000 tickets had been left unsold an hour before the 8 p.m. kickoff for the Group B match of the third round in the Asian World Cup qualification between South Korea and Palestine at Seoul World Cup Stadium. The stadium seats about 65,000. South Korea h

Sept. 5, 2024

Son Heung-min earns 128th cap, alone in 4th on all-time S. Korean list

South Korean captain Son Heung-min earned his 128th international cap on Thursday to grab the sole possession of fourth place on the country's all-time list. Son was inserted into the starting lineup against Palestine in the countries' Group B match of the third round in the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The match was to kick off at 8 p.m. at Seoul World Cup Stadium. Son, captain for both South Korea and the Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, had been tied with L

Sept. 5, 2024

S. Korea captain Son Heung-min wants new faces to play with confidence

With the new head coach and a few new faces aboard for South Korea, captain Son Heung-min has a lot to juggle as the Taegeuk Warriors prepare to host Palestine in a World Cup qualifier. He will have to be the bridge between Hong Myung-bo, about to begin his second stint as the senior men's bench boss, and the rest of the team, while also making sure a handful of youngsters can find their footing. Son also has a crucial on-pitch role as the team's offensive engine. The 32-year-old said

Sept. 4, 2024

S. Korea training camp opens ahead of World Cup qualifying matches as coach Hong begins 2nd tenure

South Korea opened their training camp Monday ahead of two World Cup qualifying matches coming up this month, as head coach Hong Myung-bo began his second tour of duty with the men's national team. South Korea will host Palestine at 8 p.m. Thursday at Seoul World Cup Stadium to begin Group B play in the third round of the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. South Korea will then visit Muscat to play Oman on Sept. 10. These will be Hong's first two matches in his second t

Sept. 2, 2024

Sports ministry launches audit into football federation's hiring of new men's coach

The sports ministry said Friday it has launched an investigation into the national football governing body over possible irregularities during its recent hiring of the new men's national team head coach. An official with the ministry said the audit on the Korea Football Association (KFA) essentially began Thursday when Jang Mi-ran, the second vice minister, broached the subject during her media availability. After meeting Choo Kyung-ho, floor leader of the ruling People Power Party, at the

July 19, 2024

Defending champions Pohang Steelers reach Korea Cup semifinals

Defending champions Pohang Steelers advanced to the last four at the top national football tournament Wednesday. Pohang defeated FC Seoul 5-1 in the quarterfinals of the Korea Cup at Pohang Steel Yard in the southeastern city of Pohang, moving closer to a record sixth Korea Cup title. Two other clubs with five titles apiece, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Suwon Samsung Bluewings, were both eliminated earlier in this year's tournament. Jeong Jae-hee netted two goals, while Oberdan, Lee Ho-jae

July 17, 2024

Sports Ministry, govt.-run body to investigate soccer federation over coach hiring

With controversy surrounding the Korea Football Association's hiring of the new men's national team head coach not dying down, both the Sports Ministry and the state-run Korea Sports Ethics Center have said they will investigate the national soccer body for any procedural issues. The KFA has been under fire since appointing Hong Myung-bo as head coach of the men's national team on July 7. The KFA had spent the previous five months trying to find a replacement for Juergen Klinsmann

July 16, 2024