South Korea launches football reform committee after early World Cup exit

South Korea has launched a government-led football reform committee following the national team’s early exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

South Korea opened Group A with a 2-1 win over Czechia but failed to build on that result, losing 2-0 to Mexico before suffering a 1-0 defeat to South Africa in its final group match.

The disappointing result sparked criticism of the Korea Football Association (KFA) and its handling of the national team.

Early exit drew backlash

President Lee Jae-myung criticised the failures in the South Korean football administration following the team’s group-stage elimination, saying in a post on X that the early exit “appears to be a failure of organisation and personnel”.

“When favouritism and cronyism take precedence over competence in selecting a commander, the result is as predictable as fire burning paper,” Lee wrote, calling for an investigation into the Korea Football Association’s management and decision-making.

The fallout also led to the resignation of head coach Hong Myung-bo, who stepped down after South Korea failed to advance to the World Cup knockout stage.

On Monday, KFA President Chung Mong-gyu also submitted his resignation, after previously announcing that he would step down following the tournament.

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Reform committee begins work

The government formally launched the K-football Innovation Committee on Monday, holding its inaugural meeting in Seoul with former World Cup star Park Ji-sung and Korean Sport & Olympic Committee President Ryu Seung-min serving as co-chairs.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said the committee will hold comprehensive discussions on measures to strengthen South Korean football’s global competitiveness, focusing on governance, youth development and the adoption of new technologies, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The seven-member panel also includes Korea Football Association Executive Director Kim Seung-hee and former national team players Lee Young-pyo and Park Joo-ho.

Speaking at the opening meeting, Ryu, the 2004 Olympic men’s table tennis gold medalist, said the committee would respect the Korea Football Association’s independence and would not interfere in its operations or personnel decisions, but would instead provide objective recommendations to help restore public confidence in South Korean football.

Park, meanwhile, said the committee would look at the sport from multiple perspectives and focus on developing practical ideas that can be implemented.

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