Football chief denies attempts to cover up facts behind controversial coaching hiring

Chung Mong-gyu, head of the Korea Football Association (KFA), denied Tuesday that he and his organization had sought to cover up any facts regarding their hiring of the men's national team head coach Hong Myung-bo. Chung addressed the controversial appointment in a written statement, released before speaking in front of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee. Chung was summoned as a witness for the committee's questioning session. Chung and the KFA have been under considerable heat since hiring Hong Myung-bo as the new head coach of the men's squad in July. In particular, the KFA has been criticized for not adhering to a proper vetting process when bringing Hong aboard, with Chung suspected of favoring Hong over other candidates. "When we did not disclose every detail of the negotiating process and did not offer explanations, it wasn't because we were trying to plot any conspiracy or cover up the truth," Chung said. "And we were absolutely not trying to select a particular person thr ough an unfair process." Chung also explained that he wanted to protect the privacy of candidates whose talks with the KFA fell through or who were removed from consideration in various stages. "During my time as president of the KFA, I have never selected a national team head coach against the recommendation of the National Teams Committee or our Technical Committee," Chung added, referring to bodies in charge of the coaching hiring process. "I have offered procedural advice, but I have never told anyone what to do with a particular candidate." On the names of different candidates being leaked to the media, Chung said: "Something like that should never be repeated. I think this process taught us a lesson that we shouldn't be selecting our national football head coach this way. "Compared to countries in Europe and South America, South Korea remains on the periphery of the international football market," Chung said. "Unfortunately, our market isn't big enough to select a coach that could satisfy our fans w henever we want. "Ultimately, I personally feel sorry for coach Hong Myung-bo for having gone through such a challenging process," Chung added. Source: Yonhap News Agency