[Sportschosun Kim Jun-seok] Ahn Jung-hwan, a former South Korea national football team player and broadcaster, called for sweeping reform at the Korea Football Association (KFA) after the team's poor showing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He said, "If the same problems happen again, I will not hesitate to stage a solo protest in front of the association."
He also directly called for Hong Myung-bo, the head coach of the South Korea national football team, to step down, demanding a complete overhaul of Korean football.
Ahn appeared on the TikTok variety program "Tiki Tiki Takataka Talk Talk Show," released on the 28th, and spoke candidly about the controversies surrounding Korean football.
He made a strong statement, saying, "The KFA needs to be completely cleaned out now. Even if everything changes and things still go wrong, I will hold a solo protest in front of the association," and added, "After that, I am even thinking about leaving the football world."
He also expressed discomfort with some people's view that he was simply trying to curry favor with the KFA.
Ahn said, "I get angry when I hear people say I want a position at the KFA," and emphasized, "I have never once joined the KFA in 14 years because I did not want to become like those people."
He continued, "Does the association report to me? Am I the control tower? Am I above the coach?" He added, "It is strange to criticize me unconditionally when I do not even work with them. Isn't it even stranger to call them bad people without any basis?"
He separated his respect for Hong Myung-bo from the issue of responsibility.
Ahn said, "Personally, he is a senior I respect," but added, "He cannot stay on," making clear that Hong must take responsibility for the national team's results.
His remarks have drawn even more attention because they came right after Korean football posted disappointing results at the World Cup.
The team led by Hong Myung-bo failed to advance past the group stage and missed out on the round of 32, finishing the tournament in a shocking 34th place among 48 participating teams.
Under the previous 32-team format, that result is being viewed as effectively no different from failing to qualify for the finals.
As criticism of the KFA intensifies after the World Cup exit, Ahn Jung-hwan, one of Korean football's legends, has publicly demanded full reform of the association and accountability from its leadership. Attention is now focused on the KFA's future direction and Hong Myung-bo's position.
narusi@sportschosun.com
