SHOCK: Coach Park Hang Seo must testify over World Cup 2026 failure

Coach Park Hang Seo and several important figures from the South Korean national team must attend a parliamentary hearing concerning the defeat at the 2026 World Cup.

The failure at the 2026 World Cup is pushing South Korean football into a serious crisis. The South Korean team secured only one win, suffered two losses, and finished third in Group A, thus exiting the tournament early in the group stage. This lackluster performance has infuriated fans and placed immense pressure on authorities to investigate and clarify the responsibilities of the individuals involved.

According to South Korean media, the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee has approved a list summoning 13 individuals to attend the hearing, scheduled for July 22. The most notable names are former head coach Hong Myung-bo and Mr. Park Hang-seo, who served as the team leader for the South Korean national team during the recent World Cup campaign. Both are considered to have had a significant influence on the team's preparation and performance.

Mr. Park Hang-seo previously held the position of Vice President of the Korea Football Association and was directly involved with the team during the tournament in North America. Before being named in the summons list, the veteran coach publicly demanded that the KFA take responsibility for the disappointing results from the Asian Cup to the World Cup. He had called on the organization to "conduct a thorough self-examination and correct its mistakes to the core."

Not only Park and Hong Myung-bo, but also several other high-ranking figures must appear to provide testimony, including former KFA President Chung Mong-gyu and former Technical Director Lee Im-saeng. Hong Myung-bo is currently in the United States but has confirmed that he will return to South Korea to attend the hearing. He stated, "As a coach, I will take full responsibility to the end."

As for the KFA, the organization has affirmed its willingness to cooperate with the National Assembly and has designated four current officials to participate in the confrontation, including two Vice Presidents, Lee Yong-soo and Kim Byung-ji. Son Heung-min was initially requested to appear as a reference witness. However, the South Korean national team captain declined due to a scheduling conflict with his club, Los Angeles FC, in the United States.

Lawmaker Cho Kye-won stated that the hearing aims to clarify signs of unfairness and lack of transparency in the operations of the KFA and South Korea's sports sector. The legislative body declared it would "uproot the unfair and non-transparent practices existing in the KFA and the entire sports industry." Consequently, the session on July 22 is expected to be tense, as the public awaits concrete answers regarding the reasons behind the decline of South Korean football.