Questions raised over Park Hang-seo, Shin Tae-yong's appointment as deputy chiefs of Korean football

KFA on Wednesday announced the appointment of five vice presidents, including Park, who will support the national team, and Shin, who will oversee foreign cooperation.

"A big surprise," South Korean news outlet Wikitree headlined.

"Both coaches are symbols of South Korea's rise in Asian football, bringing experience from overcoming various challenges," Korea Daily wrote. "Fans expect them to revive and breathe new life into the association that is on the verge of collapse."

However, some media outlets worry that Park and Shin are being positioned as temporary figureheads for president Chung Mong-gyu and the KFA. In the past, whenever the association faced a crisis, famous figures were put in the spotlight to handle the situation while the leadership remained behind the scenes.

Coach Park Hang-seo (L) and coach Shin Tae-yong shake hands at a K League 1 match in 2010. Photo by K League

"Chung has previously put well-known figures at the forefront during crises, while remaining in the background. Will this time be different?" Korea Daily questioned. "Will Chung allow Park and Shin the authority to make significant changes and accept criticism and advice from them?"

This newspaper said skepticism around the KFA under Chung’s leadership remains strong. Past figures brought in during crises often left early without being given a real opportunity to lead and if this happens again, Chung's personnel decisions will lose credibility, and he could face another crisis.

Chung, who first became KFA president in 2013, is now in his fourth term. The longest-serving KFA president was Choi Soon-young, who held the position from 1979 to 1987, with each term lasting only two years.

Under Chung's leadership, South Korean football has faced several setbacks, most notably the 2022 World Cup, where the national team were eliminated in the round of 16. Their failure to win the 2023 Asian Cup added to the pressure, and an incident involving stars Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in fighting before the semifinal match against Jordan further damaged the KFA’s reputation. This led to the dismissal of head coach Jurgen Klinsmann.

South Korea were also eliminated by Indonesia in the quarterfinals of the 2024 U23 Asian Cup, missing out on an Olympic spot for the first time in nine appearances.

In September 2024, South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism found Chung and 15 other KFA officials guilty of 27 violations, including issues surrounding the appointment of Klinsmann and Hong Myung-bo for the national team, amnesty for match-fixing players and the Cheonan National Football Center project. Despite this, Chung was cleared of any wrongdoing, and FIFA warned KFA against outside interference.

Chung was re-elected as KFA president in February 2025 with over 85% of the vote and 42 days after, he completed his leadership team.

Initially, the KFA had planned to appoint younger managers, with fans hoping for legends like Park Ji-sung and Lee Young-pyo to join. However, the youngest appointment was 45-year-old Hyun Young-min, chairman of the National Team Strengthening Committee.

Shin Tae-yong, who was dismissed by the Football Association of Indonesia in January 2024, had planned to take a year off to broaden his football knowledge. However, he was quickly recruited by the KFA to take on a managerial role.

"The KFA made great efforts to bring coach Shin onboard, knowing his determination to resume working immediately," Sports Khan wrote.

Park Hang-seo, who left his role with the Vietnam national team in January 2023, built a youth football center in Vietnam and became an advisor for second-division team Bac Ninh FC.

The 64-year-old considered retiring but ultimately accepted the KFA role. Previously, Park and the KFA had a falling out after his firing following the 2002 Asian Games.