South Korea FA offices searched as ‘bakery meeting’ casts new light on Hong Myung-bo appointment

South Korean police have searched the offices of the Korea Football Association as part of an investigation into alleged irregularities surrounding the appointment of Hong Myung-bo as national team manager in 2024.

The latest action marks a significant escalation in a case that has been under investigation for almost two years. It has returned to the spotlight following South Korea’s early exit from the World Cup.

Police carried out searches and seized materials at the association’s headquarters in Cheonan, around 90 kilometres south of the capital, as well as at its offices in central Seoul.

According to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, investigators are examining allegations that officials within the federation unlawfully intervened in the process that led to Hong being appointed manager in July 2024.

The authorities are seeking official documents to establish whether senior figures, including former association president Chung Mong-gyu and former technical director Lee Lim-saeng, used their influence to secure Hong’s appointment.

The inquiry has focused in particular on the claim that Lee offered Hong the position during a meeting at a bakery near the manager’s home.

Lee did not have the authority to appoint a manager under the federation’s regulations, according to the allegations being examined by police. Investigators are therefore looking into whether the appointment process was bypassed and whether senior officials improperly influenced the decision.

Hong resigned at the end of June after South Korea were eliminated in the group stage of the World Cup.

Police questioned Hong on Tuesday last week over suspected involvement in the case. The interview followed a formal complaint from a civil society organisation against Hong and Chung.

The complaint accuses the pair of obstructing the normal conduct of the appointment process, breach of trust, coercion and intimidation.

The investigation was opened by police almost two years ago, but public attention has intensified since South Korea’s disappointing World Cup campaign. The controversy has also prompted renewed scrutiny of the way the Korea Football Association is run.

At the end of last month, South Korea’s parliament questioned both Hong and Chung during a hearing that addressed several issues. The central topics included the federation’s management and the circumstances surrounding the appointment of the former national team manager.

The latest searches are intended to provide investigators with further evidence about the decision-making process and the role played by senior officials. Police have not yet announced the outcome of the investigation or indicated whether charges will follow.

Hong’s appointment has remained a contentious issue since the allegations first emerged. The focus on the meeting at the bakery, where Lee is alleged to have presented Hong with the job, has given the inquiry its informal “coach’s bakery” label and provided a striking detail in a wider dispute over the federation’s procedures.

The investigation now involves both the appointment itself and the conduct of the officials accused of influencing it. Further scrutiny is expected as police examine documents seized from the federation’s offices in Cheonan and Seoul.