SEOUL: South Korea's football federation is leaning towards appointing a full-time head coach for the men's national team instead of a temporary one, reported Yonhap news agency according to a senior executive overseeing the process.
Chung Hae Sung, the new head of the National Teams Committee at the Korea Football Association (KFA), held discussions with committee members regarding the selection of a new head coach for the men's national team.
"Most of our members said it isn't right to delay the appointment of a full-time boss until June (when South Korea will next play for upcoming World Cup qualifying matches) at such a critical juncture for the national team.
"They said the national team should have a full-time coach from the get-go to have a strong foundation. They also said we would run into a series of challenges to bring in a temporary coach," Chung said at his inaugural press conference at the KFA headquarters in Seoul.
The KFA dismissed the previous men's head coach, Jurgen Klinsmann last Friday, following South Korea's semifinal exit at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup in Qatar earlier this month.
Chung added the committee will consider candidates from both domestic and international backgrounds, although emphasis may be placed on hiring a Korean coach this time.
Eight key qualities were identified for the new coach, including tactical acumen, player development skills, and successful track record.
"There is a possibility that the new coach could be recruited from the domestic K League, with the South Korean club season beginning soon", said Chung.
The new coach will also be tasked with addressing internal team issues, including recent conflicts between players.
In light of recent developments involving Captain Son Heung Min and midfielder Lee Kang In, who have reconciled following a dispute, the committee views the situation positively.
"When I first heard about it, I was really happy and excited, as if we'd won a tournament. We were all pleased to learn about that development," said Chung.
The KFA president mentioned the possibility of excluding players involved in the Asian Cup controversy from upcoming matches, although this was not discussed in the committee meeting, with the responsibility left to the new head coach for player selection.
Son dislocated a finger in a scuffle with young midfielder Lee Kang-in over a game of table tennis on the eve of South Korea's semifinal loss to Jordan at the Asian Cup.
Klinsmann later blamed the team's disappointing showing on internal chemistry issues, amid whispers that the team had long been divided into several cliques based on their ages or club affiliations. --BERNAMA-Yonhap