SEOUL — A significant development has occurred in the search for the new head coach of South Korea's men's national football team, as a senior executive has tendered his resignation.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Chung Hae-soung, who heads the National Teams Committee, expressed his intent to resign due to health issues during a visit to the KFA headquarters in Seoul on Friday. However, the KFA had not accepted his resignation as of Saturday morning. Chung has played a pivotal role in the search for a new national team coach, a position left vacant since the dismissal of Jurgen Klinsmann on February 16 after a disappointing performance in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup.
Chung's resignation offer comes amid difficulties in securing a new coach. The KFA faced challenges in finalizing an agreement with Jesse Marsch, a former Leeds United head coach who instead took over the Canadian men's national team. Additionally, Jesus Casas, a candidate from Spain, decided to remain with the Iraqi national team. In the interim, Kim Do-hoon, a former K League coach, has been appointed as caretaker manager, leading the team to victories in recent World Cup qualifiers.
Lee Lim-saeng, the KFA's technical director, is set to take over the ongoing hiring process. While Chung was responsible for the initial candidate selection and interviews, final decisions were under the purview of KFA President Chung Mong-gyu, who reportedly favors appointing a foreign coach.
The resignation and ongoing coaching search come as South Korea prepares to resume its World Cup qualifying campaign in September, facing teams such as Iraq, Jordan, and Kuwait in the third round of Asian qualifiers. The top two teams from each of the three groups will advance to the 2026 World Cup. South Korea has consistently participated in the World Cup since 1986.