As head coach Hong Myung-bo stepped down from his post, taking responsibility for the failure to advance to the Round of 32 at the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, an emergency has arisen in the Korea Football Association's process of appointing the next national team head coach. Since the KFA has not yet disclosed a specific pool of candidates or formalized the appointment process, the names currently being discussed remain at the level of speculation within the football community and among fans.

The 2024 National Team Strengthening Committee's Candidate Shortlist At the time of appointing head coach Hong Myung-bo in 2024, the KFA's National Team Strengthening Committee reviewed a candidate pool that included both domestic and foreign coaches. It was reported that the list had been narrowed down to four domestic candidates and seven foreign candidates, but the names were not officially disclosed. Accordingly, within the football community and among fans, the names of domestic coaches who had previously been mentioned as candidates for the national team head coaching position are resurfacing.

• *Domestic Candidates for the Next Head Coach Discussed Within the Football Community**
• Head Coach Shin Tae-yong: Cited as a strong candidate, possessing experience leading the national team as well as coaching experience with a foreign national team.
• Head Coach Yun Jung-hwan: Mentioned by some fans and within the football community based on his coaching experience accumulated in the K League and the Japanese stage.
• Head Coach Kim Hak-bum & Head Coach Hwang Sun-hong: Projected as candidates for the next head coach based on their successful experience leading age-group national teams and the senior national team.

However, there has been no announcement that the KFA is officially reviewing any of them as candidates.

Calls for Administrative Overhaul and the Recruitment of Legends Some football fans have suggested that, separate from the head coach appointment, football legends such as Park Ji-sung and Lee Young-pyo should participate in the operation of the national team or the reform of the KFA. However, this too is merely fan opinion and online reaction, and whether it has been actually discussed has not been confirmed.

Currently, the KFA has not even decided on a direction regarding whether to select a domestic coach or appoint a foreign manager. Within the football community, voices continue to emphasize that rather than focusing on specific individuals, it is more important to establish fairness and transparency in the appointment process and a long-term philosophy for operating the national team. What criteria the KFA will put forward in appointing the next head coach is cited as a key variable that will determine the future direction of South Korean football.

[The candidates for the next head coach and related figures mentioned in this article are a compilation of forecasts within the football community, press reports, and fan opinions, not official announcements from the Korea Football Association, and are unrelated to actual appointments. This article received partial support from AI in the writing process and was completed after final editing and review.]