Rival parties demand overhaul of nat'l football body following Korea's elimination

Rival political parties were united in their criticism of the national football governing body on Sunday in light of the country's elimination at the ongoing FIFA World Cup. Representatives for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) called for a parliamentary probe into operations at the Korea Football Association (KFA). Rep.

Park Beo-kye of the ruling party took to Facebook to voice his displeasure after Korea, coached by Hong Myung-bo, missed out on a chance to sneak into the round of 32 earlier in the day. "Out of patriotism, I was hoping the team would reach the round of 32," Park wrote. "This showed that what Korean football needs is not merely remodeling, but reconstruction."

Korea finished third in Group A with three points from a win and two losses and ended up 10th among 12 third-place teams — with the top eight from that group qualifying for the knockout stage. The KFA and its outgoing leader, Chung Mong-gyu, have been subject to significant public backlash since hiring Hong in July 2024 for his second tour of duty with the