Former head coach Hong Myung-bo resigns [Yonhap News]

It has been revealed that former national football team head coach Hong Myung-bo charged a total of 14 million won to the Korea Football Association (KFA) corporate card at hotels and restaurants near his home, without submitting any separate justification for the expenses.

According to corporate card usage records provided to Democratic Party Representative Jin Sun-mee by the KFA on the 28th, Hong charged 14.06 million won out of a total of 37.42 million won spent between July 2024 and May of this year in Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, where he resides.

The usage locations included hotels, butcher shops, and hangover-soup restaurants near Hong's residence. Records also show that he made payments of several hundred thousand won at businesses in Bundang-gu on public holidays, including Children's Day, Memorial Day, and Liberation Day.

Under the KFA's business expense guidelines, the use of corporate cards is restricted on holidays, near one's residence, or in areas outside the relevant jurisdiction. In cases where the card is used inevitably, objective supporting documentation, such as business trip records, or a formal justification statement must be submitted.

In response, the KFA stated that while no separate justification was received for the expenses incurred near Hong's home, the receipts included details such as attendees and the number of people, and that usage records were reviewed on a monthly basis.

Furthermore, it was found that Hong continued to charge a total of 9.94 million won near his residence even after the KFA conducted corporate card usage training for all employees in May of last year.

Meanwhile, criticism has been raised that despite the KFA issuing a public apology in 2016 regarding the misuse of corporate cards, payments at department stores and gas stations continue to occur.

An investigation by Representative Jin’s office into KFA corporate card records from January 2021 to July of this year found 218 transactions at department stores (totaling 26,025,980 won) and 300 transactions at gas stations (totaling 51,882,527 won), based on card industry merchant categories.

Notably, during this period, former Technical Director Lee Im-saeng made three payments totaling 546,000 won at Lotte Department Store and Hyundai Department Store. Former head coach Hong also spent 160,000 won at Shinsegae Department Store and other locations.

It is reported that the KFA guidelines lack specific criteria restricting the use of corporate cards at businesses such as department stores or children's clothing retailers.

"The KFA must overhaul its management system, starting with specifying corporate card usage standards to match the level of other sports organizations, and addressing its failure to even properly disclose usage data," said Representative Jin.