Former South Korean men's national football team coach Hong Myung-bo responded to the controversy surrounding the misuse of corporate cards, denying any improper use.
On the 28th, JTBC exclusively reported that Hong Myung-bo was accused of excessive and irregular use of his corporate credit card. According to the office of Democratic Party lawmaker Jin Sun-mi, citing the Korea Football Association's corporate credit card usage details, of the 37.42 million won (approximately 175,000 RMB) that Hong Myung-bo used between July 2024 and May of this year, 14.08 million won (approximately 66,000 RMB) was spent near his residence, and there were also instances of him using his corporate credit card improperly on weekends.
In response, Hong Myung-bo issued a statement refuting the claim, stating, "I only used the card for the designated purposes and within the limits stipulated by the Korea Football Association, and all transaction details have been submitted to the association for verification and settlement. During my tenure, I have never received any corrections or requests for rectification regarding improper use of the corporate card."
He addressed each specific point of contention. Regarding the use of corporate cards on holidays, Hong Myung-bo explained: "One of the main tasks of the national team coach and coaching staff is to conduct on-site assessments of K-League players, and most K-League matches are held on weekends and holidays. It is common for the coaching staff to go to the stadiums on weekends and holidays to observe and evaluate players and hold meetings. In the past two years, the national team roster has been announced on Mondays, and weekend meetings before the roster is finalized are necessary. The use of corporate cards on weekends or holidays is for the coaching staff's meal expenses and business development expenses incurred during their work with the national team."
In response to the core criticism regarding "excessive spending on corporate cards near his residence in Bundang District," Hong Myung-bo stated that his primary work location is in Bundang, making this practice entirely reasonable. "The national team's foreign coaches all reside in Bundang District. The coaching staff uses shared office space in Bundang District for meetings and work, and meals are also taken within the district. Furthermore, the national team held two training sessions last year at a hotel in Jeongja-dong, Bundang District. The hotel served as the team's base for matches against Jordan in the 2025 East Asian Cup and the third stage of the North American World Cup Asian qualifiers, held in Yongin and Suwon. The corporate card spending in Bundang District is not personal consumption, but rather a concentrated result of business expenditures related to the residence of the foreign coaching staff and the national team's training sessions."
Regarding the allegations of using a corporate card to pay for personal meals, Hong Myung-bo denied it, stating that such an act was absolutely untrue and that the amount spent could serve as evidence. As for the Chinese restaurant where he frequently patronized the establishment, he explained, "The restaurant is about a one-minute walk from the shared office space where the coaching staff meetings are held. It has private rooms, making it suitable for both meetings and meals, hence our continued use of it."
Hong Myung-bo added, "The relevant supporting documents will be submitted for explanation at the hearing." He will appear as a witness at the National Assembly hearing for the Korea Football Association on the 30th.
