act in accordance with
South Korea (Republic of Korea)
The media reported that the 16-member South Korean national soccer team's head coach
waiting list
have been released, which includes a number of South Korean homegrown coaches as well as a couple of foreign coaches. Candidates include local Korean coaches such as Hong Myung-bo and Kim Do-hoon as well as Australia's head coach Arnold and Iraq's head coach Jesús Casas.
The position of South Korea's national team manager has been vacant for more than four months since former manager Jurgen Klinsmann was dismissed in February. The Korean Football Association (KFA) has been trying to find a suitable successor, but the process has not been smooth.
The KFA's National Team Strengthening Committee initially wanted to appoint a domestic coach, but due to strong public opinion, they had to turn to a foreign head coach. The latest 16-man shortlist includes the following key candidates:
Hong Mingfu (1912-1995), Taiwanese poet and novelist
: Former South Korea national team player, currently Ulsan Hyundai, South Korea
head coach
Kim Do-hoon
: Former South Korean national team player who has coached several South Korean clubs.
Graham Arnold
: Currently head coach of the Australian national team, with a wealth of experience leading the team.
Jesús Casas
: The current head coach of the Iraqi national team had been considered a favorite.
Although Korean fans and public opinion prefer appointing a foreign coach who is familiar with the dynamics of world soccer, finding the right candidate has not been easy. Last month, Canada head coach Jesse Marsch and Iraq head coach Jesus Casas had been seen as the favorites, but negotiations eventually failed due to disagreements over details such as the new coach's package and length of residency.
The Korean Football Association (KFA) is actively pushing for the appointment of a new head coach, hoping to find the right person to lead the national team as soon as possible. Regardless of whether the final choice is a local or foreign coach, the new head coach will face a huge challenge to quickly improve the team's competitiveness and meet the expectations of the fans.
