Hong Myung-bo, the beleaguered head coach of the South Korean males’s nationwide soccer crew, stated Tuesday he does not suppose he was given any preferential remedy when he was employed for the job this summer season.
Hong additionally defied requires his resignation over the difficulty.
Hong made these feedback throughout the questioning session by the Tradition, Sports activities and Tourism Committee of the Nationwide Meeting. The coach was amongst witnesses summoned by the committee, whose lawmakers grilled Hong, Korea Soccer Affiliation President Chung Mong-gyu and different KFA officers on the controversial appointment of Hong in July.
Critics of the transfer have charged that the KFA wasted months interviewing international candidates when it had needed Hong all alongside. Hong, who had earlier rejected the KFA’s overtures for the vacant teaching place, accepted the job after a rapidly organized assembly with Lee Lim-saeng, technical director of the KFA thrust into the lead function within the teaching hiring course of.
When requested, point-blank, by Rebuilding Korea Occasion Rep. Kim Jae-won whether or not he felt he had been employed pretty, Hong responded, “I do not suppose I obtained any preferential remedy.
“I accepted the job as a result of I used to be informed I used to be the highest candidate,” Hong added, referring to his assembly with Lee. “Technical director Lee Lim-saeng informed me I used to be the No. 1 candidate, as chosen by the Nationwide Groups Committee of the KFA. If I had been No. 2 or No. 3, I would not have accepted the provide.”
Hong additionally insisted that he’s not going wherever, now that he has been put in cost by a correct course of.
“I’ve no plans to resign over this matter,” Hong stated. “In fact, if I do not put up outcomes, I shall be fired in some unspecified time in the future. For now, my job is to construct a extremely robust squad.”
The KFA was criticized for pleading with Hong to take the place, relatively than placing him by a rigorous vetting course of like different candidates.
When Kim introduced up the purpose, Hong responded, “I feel the phrase ‘pleading’ shouldn’t be right on this scenario.”
“The committee had three finalists, and I feel Lee’s job was to contact these three and negotiate,” Hong added.
One other committee member, Democratic Occasion Rep. Cho Gye-won, pressed Hong to resign if his hiring course of is discovered to have been unfair and unlawful.
“I do not suppose there was something unfair with the method,” Hong reiterated. “As head coach of the crew, my job is to construct a robust squad and put up good outcomes on the World Cup (in 2026).”
Hong acknowledged that the controversy surrounding his appointment has had a destructive impact on the crew morale and added, “I’ll do my greatest as head coach in that regard.”
DP Rep. Lim O-kyeong requested Hong why he had a sudden change of coronary heart to take the nationwide crew reins when he had publicly stated he would not depart his then Okay League membership, Ulsan HD FC, earlier within the yr. Hong repeated the identical reply he had supplied in his inaugural press convention in July.
Hong, who first coached South Korea on the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, stated he initially did not need to return to the place, figuring out how difficult it’s.
“Nevertheless it turned arduous to disregard the tough place that our nationwide crew was in, and I needed to serve the nation one final time,” Hong stated. “I did not suppose I’d really feel the identical sense of accountability and responsibility that I had 10 years in the past. However my assembly with Lee Lim-saeng introduced that out in me. That is why I made a decision to take the job.”
In a media scrum after the morning session on the Nationwide Meeting, Hong stated he selected to attend the committee’s assembly to reply questions that folks have about his appointment.
“I do not suppose it is a dangerous concept to debate issues that folks could also be inquisitive about, and accomplish that to one of the best of my data,” Hong stated. “I’m imagined to be in Europe now as a result of I wanted to test on some gamers.”
Hong was referring to his preparation for the 2 World Cup qualifying matches arising towards Jordan and Iraq in October. He’s scheduled to announce his squad subsequent Monday and would have traveled to Europe to scout some Korean gamers there, if not for the parliamentary session.
Whereas Hong stayed put, Lee Lim-saeng, the technical director, introduced his resignation throughout the night session. Lee was grilled in regards to the validity of the switch of accountability within the teaching search, after he took over from Chung Hae-sung, who resigned as head of the Nationwide Groups Committee in late June because of well being considerations.
Based on the KFA, 5 members of the committee agreed to let Lee run the method in an internet assembly on June 30.
Nonetheless, DP Rep. Yang Moon-seok stated the assembly itself was unlawful, and Lee had no authorized grounds to imagine the obligations Chung Hae-sung as soon as held.
One other DP lawmaker, Kang Yu-jung, identified that it’s towards the KFA’s personal laws to let a technical government pull double responsibility with the Nationwide Groups Committee.
“The KFA’s board of administrators by no means as soon as mentioned giving Lee that management. There isn’t any report of that,” Kang stated, accusing Chung Mong-gyu of committing perjury when he claimed there are paperwork stating that switch.
Park Soo-hyun, a 3rd DP lawmaker, stated Lee ought to solely have interviewed candidates after Chung Hae-sung stop, and that Lee had no proper to make the ultimate teaching choice.
Lee had beforehand claimed 5 Nationwide Groups Committee members had consented to having him take over the hiring course of. Throughout Tuesday’s parliamentary session, DP Rep. Min Hyung-bae offered a collection of textual content messages that Lee had despatched to at least one member, attempting to steer that member to let him run the present.
The member, whose id was withheld, responded, “I’m sorry. It’s best to attempt to proceed with out me.”
Min charged that this means Lee didn’t have the inexperienced mild from 5 members as he claimed earlier.
Within the face of persistent questions from Min, Lee, overcome with emotion, stated he would stop.
“I say this with my honor at stake. I did obtain consent from 5 members,” Lee stated. “I can not agree with the concept that I did not get the mandatory consent.” (Yonhap)