I really wanted to stop writing about the KFA (Korean Football Association). But this relentless incompetence just doesn't seem to end.
On February 27th, KFA's Director of Player Development, Jung Hae-sung,
announced through a press conference the appointment of an interim commander to lead the two March A-matches (home and away against Thailand.
The appointed individual is Hwang Sun-hong, the current coach of the U-23 national team.
One positive aspect is that they didn't rush to appoint a permanent head coach, which was a concern.
I was worried because it seemed like they were trying to decide on the commander-in-chief to lead the national team until the next World Cup in just two to three weeks.
Thankfully, that didn't happen, and for now, they've only appointed an interim coach to handle the two March A-matches that are right in front of us.
Of course, whether the permanent coach appointed in June will actually bring proper coaching is a separate issue, but let's leave that for later.
I'd like to talk about the appointment of Coach Hwang Sun-hong.
It's true that the pool of coaches that the association can quickly appoint is quite limited.
This is especially true when appointing an interim coach for just two matches.
Firstly, hiring a foreign coach is practically impossible.
Unless there's a foreign coach with immense passion for the Korean national team, there aren't many foreign coaches willing to take on the role of interim coach for just two matches.
That leaves us with Korean coaches.
However, if K League coaches were appointed as interim coaches, the aftermath could be quite turbulent.
Such a scenario should never happen.
The K League has just started its season.
Asking coaches, who are already pressed for time managing and preparing their own teams, to also take on the role of national team coach would not only be disrespectful to those coaches but also to K League officials and fans alike.
It would undermine the significance of the K League itself in the eyes of the Korean Football Association.
Then, there are the current unaffiliated coaches.
One prominent figure that was mentioned is Coach Park Hang-seo.
As many are aware, Coach Park has extensive experience in Southeast Asian football, having led the Vietnamese national team.
Personally, appointing Coach Park as interim coach seemed like the most sensible option.
Of course, while Coach Park has previously managed the South Korean national team and has a history of coaching in the K League, those periods weren't exactly stellar.
However, considering the current situation, it might have been the most suitable choice.
However, appointing Coach Hwang Sun-hong seems surprising to me.
In my opinion, he should have been one of the first coaches excluded from consideration, especially considering his current role as the coach of the U-23 national team and the upcoming crucial schedule.
They need to prepare for the AFC U-23 Asian Cup (starting in April),
the outcome of which determines immediate qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Moreover, the draw isn't easy.
In the group stage of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup, they'll be facing teams like Japan, China, and the UAE.
Given the significance of this period for the U-23 national team,
even appointing an interim coach to take on additional responsibilities seems quite regrettable.
Many people have doubts about Coach Hwang Sun-hong's abilities.
That's a valid point. Especially during his time as the coach of K League's FC Seoul, there were many doubts about Coach Hwang Sun-hong's abilities.
Even now, despite barely leading the U-23 national team and winning a gold medal in the Asian Games, it's hard to see him as a great coach.
However, I believe there's no need to debate the abilities of the interim national team coach right now.
The two March matches against Thailand are part of the World Cup second qualifiers, and frankly speaking, losing one of these matches won't affect our chances of advancing to the final qualifiers.
My concern about appointing Coach Hwang Sun-hong stems from the fear that adding additional responsibilities might disrupt preparations for the Olympics.
Given the doubts about Coach Hwang Sun-hong's abilities, it's crucial for him to focus more on his role and preparations.
We've seen Klinsmann, who didn't work actually a lot as a coach, might makes us misunderstand that there are nothing much to do.
There's indeed a lot to be done as a coach.
But making a decision to appoint him to the national team while he's already handling other responsibilities is indeed questionable.
I can't help but wonder at this point if the Korea Football Association truly considers and works for Korean football under the name 'Korea.'
Of course, I understand, or rather, I believe that many employees affiliated with the association are genuinely working to love and develop Korean football.
What I doubt is the upper management, especially President Chung Mong-gyu.
I'm not sure if this person really has any intention of loving and developing Korean football under the name of the Korea Football Association, or if he just wants to play chairman.
Every little thing they handle, every person they put forward, feels like a shield to preserve his own position.
Please, I hope they realize on their own that stepping down from the position of chairman would be the way to truly benefit Korean football.
