Hong Myung-bo says he'll attend parliamentary hearing into KFA if called

Hong Myung-bo, who resigned as manager of the Korean national football team following the country's disappointing FIFA World Cup 2026 performance, has reportedly hinted that he might appear at a parliamentary hearing on the Korea Football Association (KFA) if summoned.

"I plan to attend if the parliamentary hearing proceeds," he reportedly told a member of the Hong Myung-bo Foundation per local sources on Tuesday. "If I'm called, I'll go."

Hong left for Los Angeles on Thursday, just two days after returning to Korea from the World Cup.

The Taeguk Warriors finished third in Group A with one win and two losses, failing to advance to the round of 32 despite being drawn into a group many considered favorable.

He has since been accused of leadership failure, with backlash also rising over the reportedly unclear hiring process by the KFA.

The police have transferred the complaints to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to speed up the investigation into the hiring process, which has been stalled for two years.

Little has been seen or heard of Hong, who abruptly announced his resignation from the managerial post shortly after Korea's last World Cup game on June 28. 

He did, however, briefly express a desire to speak his mind at Incheon International Airport before his departure to Los Angeles, telling reporters he has things he wants to say.

"The time will come when I can say them," he said.

When asked whether he would attend the hearings, he replied at the time that he was not sure because he didn't know when he would return to Korea.

"Former manager Hong resigned to take responsibility for the team's poor World Cup performance, but he believes protecting the players until the end is also part of a coach's job," a source at the foundation said. "He intends to appear at the hearing and explain circumstances he has not been able to discuss publicly so that the players are not blamed or targeted."

A parliamentary hearing on the KFA is expected to take place around July 22. Former KFA President Chung Mong-gyu, who resigned on Monday, is expected to be called alongside Hong.

BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]