Korean non-profit sues KFA head Chung Mong-gyu, again

KFA Chairman Chung Mong-gyu speaks during a briefing at KFA House in central Seoul on Feb. 16. [YONHAP]

A Korean civic group filed a criminal complaint accusing Korea Football Association Chairman Chung Mong-gyu of breach of duty and interfering with the proper operation of the association in the appointment of Hong Myung-bo as new national team manager.

It is the second criminal complaint the civic group have filed against Hong this year. The last accusation, in February, centered on the appointment of Jurgen Klinsmann as national team manager.

People's Welfare Countermeasure Committee (PWCC) said Monday that appointing Hong without the agreement of the KFA's national team committee interferes with the proper operation of the association, and offering him with a job without first agreeing a salary is a breach of duty.

The civic group added that the KFA’s call to take legal action against Park Joo-ho, who was a selection committee member and revealed in a YouTube video last week that he was not aware of Hong's appointment before it was publicly announced, is a threat not just to Park, but to the entire nation.

The PWCC’s criminal complaint to Seoul Metropolitan Police comes after the KFA announced on July 7 that Hong is the new national team boss — a post that was vacant for five months after the KFA sacked Klinsmann in February.

The KFA’s call was controversial not only because Hong had previously indicated his intention to reject the offer, but because KFA Technical Director Lee Lim-saeng appeared to bypass the selection committee — formed in February in search of a new manager — and unilaterally made the appointment on his own.

Lee said on July 8 during a press conference that Chung had ordered him to take charge of the appointment process after former selection committee head Chung Hae-sung resigned a few days earlier.

BY HAN YOUNG-HYE, PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]