[New Square 10] Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's interim audit announcement...What is the conclusion of Hong Myung-bo's "fairness"?

■ Host: Um Ji-min Anchor
■ Starring: Choi Dong-ho Sports Critic

* The text below may differ from the actual broadcast content, so please check the broadcast for more accurate information. Please specify [YTN New Square 10AM] when quoting.

[Anchor]
Regarding the appointment of Klinsmann, the Korea Football Association disabled the power reinforcement committee from functioning properly, and Chairman Chung Mong-kyu, who does not have the authority to recommend the coach, conducted an interview. In addition, director Lee Im-saeng, who has no authority in relation to director Hong Myung-bo's appointment process, recommended the final candidate. And he said that director Hong Myung-bo's interview process was opaque and unfair. We talked about many other things.

Let's talk in detail with sports critic Choi Dong-ho. Welcome.

[Choi Dongho]
Hello,

[Anchor]
First of all, you heard the results of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism audit, where is the one you paid most attention to?

[Choi Dongho]
As expected, the issue of fairness and legality in the process of appointing director Hong Myung-bo drew the most attention. As was pointed out in the National Assembly's pending questions, the members of the Committee pointed out the illegality of the 11th meeting after the 10th meeting in the National Assembly's pending questions. Most of these points were found to be true in the audit results of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. First of all, Lee Im-saeng, the technical director, played the role of the chairman of the power reinforcement committee despite not having the authority to concurrently serve as the chairman of the power reinforcement committee. In short, technical director Lee Im-saeng played this role despite not having the role and authority to appoint a national coach.

And the uncertainty of the interview process, which was particularly problematic. So, foreign candidates went and interviewed by video, and Hong Myung-bo alone waited for a long time at the manager's home and then conducted an inappropriate interview in an unknown space, the Korea Football Association claims. However, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that it was questionable whether this was an interview. And at the board meeting, this is not just director Hong Myung-bo. Likewise, if the power reinforcement committee recommends a candidate for the director, it will be confirmed only when the board approves and decides, but the board's appointment process has been omitted. It was also pointed out that in practice, the Power Enhancement Committee decided on the supervisory candidates and the Board continued to vote on them as a written resolution later, as a form of formality.

[Anchor]
He continued to point out that the administrative procedures were very sloppy, and there was also a content related to the media response to the Korea Football Association. The Korea Football Association distributed a press release that was not true. And when the errors were revealed, they reversed their previous position, especially director Hong Myung-bo, who has been known to be the number one candidate for the director, but this was also the joint number one with other foreign directors.

[Choi Dongho]
At the 10th meeting of the Power Reinforcement Committee, it was narrowed down to five candidates. The members of the National Power Reinforcement Committee selected five people by voting, and among them, director Hong Myung-bo and David Wagner tied for first place with seven votes. According to the KFA's announcement, Hong Myung-bo ranked first. So it's not true. We were tied for first place. As these were pointed out in the National Assembly, the Korea Football Association reversed the explanatory data and revised the first place to joint first place. However, there have been several times when such press releases or explanations from the Korea Football Association have reversed their existing positions. Regarding this, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's announcement of the audit results just before applied the rules by interpreting them arbitrarily. And he pointed out that there was an explanation that was different from the truth, and whenever it was pointed out, he reversed his existing position and explained it.

[Anchor]
First of all, we announced that the final audit results will be released at the end of this month, but do you think we have fully audited the contents so far?

[Choi Dongho]
There are some parts where you can't come to the conclusion that it's enough. Because when it comes to director Hong Myung-bo's appointment process, public opinion is divided. Nevertheless, coach Hong Myung-bo should take charge of the team until the World Cup. Since there was a problem with the procedure, head coach Hong Myung-bo should step down as the head coach of the national team. And the reason for the public opinion was that Hong Myung-bo asked for a quick explanation as to why he should step down as the national team coach. However, according to the results of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's interim audit, Hong Myung-bo had this problem, so it was decisive because there was a defect in the procedure, so there was no announcement that he should step down. So, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism did not say much about the resignation of director Hong Myung-bo. However, except for head coach Hong Myung-bo, those who are responsible for the Korea Football Association's audit results said they will demand a reprimand for it when the audit results are announced at the end of October.

[Anchor]
Do you have the authority to ask the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to re-appoint the national team coach?

[Choi Dongho]
It's possible to make a recommendation. It is possible to recommend, but in fact, this is a very sensitive issue. For example, sportsmen and soccer players feel very rejected by the government's audit of sports organizations as intervention. However, what needs to be accurately addressed about this issue is that the Korea Football Association alone is receiving about 30 billion won from the government budget. It's a national tax. Of course, if the national tax is supported, the grand proposition that art and cultural sports organizations support it but do not interfere should be observed, but at least the competent authorities should supervise whether the money is being spent properly. Therefore, athletes should know that this grand proposition of applying but not interfering does not mean that it excludes inferior interference.

The other is that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism should be supervised in the implementation of related sports policies and soccer associations, but it should also be supervised in administration, budget, finance, foreign policy, etc. For example, I have a different opinion on whether the appointment of a soccer coach as a national team coach is an administrative issue and should be managed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. For example, the appointment of a national team coach is a professional area among sports and soccer, and unlike the apparent performance and technical evaluation, I think some deep insights from those who have experienced soccer for a long time and have experienced it in the field can work. Therefore, I don't think the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's direct demand for replacement or appointment in relation to soccer coaches is common sense.

[Anchor]
The Korea Football Association has released the minutes of the 10th meeting, saying there was no problem with the manager's appointment process. But actually, the key is the minutes of the 11th meeting that came out in the current questionnaire. That's why the Korea Football Association released the minutes of the 10th meeting when the controversy continues now?

[Choi Dongho]
The disclosure of the minutes of the 10th meeting was due to the request of director Hong Myung-bo. I am also frustrated when head coach Hong Myung-bo announced the national team list on the 30th of last month. In a way, director Hong Myung-bo might be a little unfair. Because he was the subject of the national team coach recruitment process, not the subject, and he accepted the request, so he took over as the national team coach. In this respect, it is understandable that Hong Myung-bo is frustrated. At this meeting, director Hong Myung-bo said that if it was a problem, it would be a good way to disclose the minutes of the 10th meeting and demanded the release of the minutes. In response, the Korea Football Association released the minutes of the 10th meeting. The main content of the 10th meeting was that the members decided on five candidates and delegated full power to the chairman. So at that time, Chairman Jung Hae-sung again narrowed it down to three out of five and decided to prioritize director Hong Myung-bo. And after the 10th meeting, Chairman Jung Hae-sung resigned.

But the important issue is not the 10th meeting, but the 11th meeting. The first factor that can be argued that the appointment of Hong Myung-bo is invalid because the 11th meeting was questioned that it was illegal in the National Assembly's pending questions and is illegal is that Lee Im-saeng, the technical director, chaired the Power Reinforcement Committee without any grounds. After taking the chairmanship, I said that I got the consent of the members, but I have considerable suspicion about what I got. He claimed to have interviewed Hong Myung-bo without full authority and appointed him as the national team coach, which is why it is illegal. The explanation of the Korea Football Association is that it did not serve as the chairman of the Korea Power Reinforcement Committee, but that only the technical director played a role continuously because the chairman of the Korea Power Reinforcement Committee resigned. Here, the soccer association is the same in the National Assembly. There is a big difference in arguing that we cannot accept the results of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's audit.

[Anchor]
The most interesting thing right now is coach Hong Myung-bo's future, but I think the soccer community is divided over this. There is a claim that the replacement of the coach is a little cautious because there is a World Cup qualification right away, and there are claims that we need to renovate at this time. What do you think?

[Choi Dongho]
The third round of qualifying is in progress right now. Depending on the results of the 3rd qualifying round, you may or may not receive a ticket. We have to be at least second. Since it is such an important time, will he replace the national team coach again? I'm cautious about this, but at this time with Hong Myung-bo, I missed the timing, so I can replace the coach. Still, at this time, there is an argument that I should go as director Hong Myung-bo. Four years later, the World Cup will come back again. Some argue that it is more important to achieve reform of the Korea Football Association with this opportunity than the World Cup. But I don't think these two arguments are an alternative issue.

So what I'm talking about is not that I can't because I'm director Hong Myung-bo, as I said earlier. Most of the points are that there was a problem with the process of appointing director Hong Myung-bo, right? I'm not saying I'm against it because I'm Hong Myung-bo. If so, we can achieve all the administration and reform, including the process of appointing the national team coach. However, I think it's one thing to revise and reform the director's appointment process and have to step down because Hong Myung-bo has benefited from it. Therefore, I think we should look at director Hong Myung-bo's resignation a little coldly.

The biggest reason is that this is a regrettable position from the perspective of the biggest soccer fan, but the issue of the appointment of a soccer coach and national team coach is not a problem that can be selected by testing because they have a lot of theory, knowledge, and experience in soccer. No matter how unknown a director is, if he has insight into the ability of this unknown director, he can leave it to them. The coach chosen by the Korea Football Association has to persuade the people that we chose this person after seeing this aspect and this future, but the Korea Football Association has lost the trust of the people since last year due to so many missteps. Therefore, no matter how many coaches or soccer associations say they have appointed our national team coach, it has provided such a clue that they are not supported by the people for a long time. The saddest thing is that it has become an unreliable soccer association. So this is why the Football Association needs to be reformed.

[Anchor]
He said that the most important thing is to restore the trust of the people and soccer fans.

Let's stop here.

So far, we have been with sports critic Choi Dong-ho. Thank you.