SEOUL (Reuters) – The Korea Football Association (KFA) announced on Tuesday that Hwang Sun-hong, the coach of the under-23 team, has been selected as the temporary head coach of the national team in preparation for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The decision to appoint Hwang came after the National Team Committee, an advisory body of the KFA, began the search for a new coach following the dismissal of Juergen Klinsmann. Klinsmann was removed from his position after South Korea’s disappointing semi-final exit at the Asian Cup and amid criticism of his leadership.
With a successful track record, Hwang, 55, led the under-23 national team to victory at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. He was also a member of the 2002 World Cup squad that achieved a historic semi-final finish under the guidance of Dutch coach Guus Hiddink.
The KFA’s decision to part ways with Klinsmann came after South Korea failed to claim their third Asian Cup title in 64 years, reigniting doubts about the German coach’s ability to lead the national team.
In addition to preparing the team for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in April in Qatar, Hwang will be tasked with managing internal conflicts within the squad. A publicized disagreement between captain Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur and teammate Lee Kang-in of Paris St Germain will need to be addressed by Hwang as he takes on the role of interim head coach.
(Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Ed Davies)
