Korea's referee drought exposed again at 2026 FIFA World Cup
Ning Ma holds up the substitution board during the FIFA World Cup 2026 match between Germany and Paraguay at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, June 29. AFP-Yonhap
Japan, China send referee crew to World Cup while Korea is left behind
Korea's showing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup disappointed for more reasons than just the national team's exit in the round of 32.
Equally troubling was the country's failure to produce a World Cup referee for a 24th consecutive year. Not since referee Kim Young-joo officiated at the 2002 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by Korea and Japan has a Korean center referee been appointed to the tournament. Even among assistant referees, there hasn't been any representation since Jeong Hae-sang's appearance at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
While the national team qualified for 11 straight World Cups, Korean referees repeatedly fell short of reaching football's biggest stage.
Beginning in the 2010s, the Korea Football Association (KFA) appeared to invest in developing elite officials by designating promising referees as "special referees," a program intended to nurture future World Cup candidates.
More than a decade later, however, the results have been disappointing. At this year's tournament, only one former participant in the program reached the preliminary candidate list, ultimately failing to make FIFA's final selections. With that official now transitioning into referee instruction, concerns are mounting that Korea lacks a clear candidate even for the next World Cup in Spain, Portugal and Morocco four years from now.
FIFA assembled its largest-ever officiating team for the 2026 tournament, consisting of 52 referees, 88 assistant referees and 30 video assistant referees (VAR), for a total of 170 officials. Not a single Korean was included.
That absence raises uncomfortable questions about the KFA's administrative capabilities and its influence within international football.
The contrast with China is particularly striking. Although China again failed to qualify for the World Cup finals, it sent a full complement of officials, including referees, assistant referees and VAR officials.
Chinese referee Ma Ning, who participated in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, eventually earned a place on the World Cup stage with strong backing from the Chinese Football Association and China's influence within the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). His selection illustrates what sustained institutional support and long-term planning can achieve.
While countries such as China and Japan have continued building their officiating programs by accumulating experience in major international competitions, Korea has squandered what should have been a critical window for developing its own referees.
Korea Football Association President Chung Mong-gyu, right, congratulates Oh Hyeon-gyu, who scored the go-ahead goal to lead Korea to victory during the2026 FIFA World Cup group A opener against the Czech Republic at Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico, June 11. Yonhap
From 2016 to 2019, KFA President Chung Mong-gyu served as chairman of the AFC Referees Committee. However, retired officials say there was little done to establish a lasting vision or meaningful legacy for the advancement of Korean refereeing.
Despite the growing sophistication of technologies such as VAR and goal-line technology, controversy over officiating mistakes continues to plague the K League, further eroding confidence in the KFA's referee management.
Overshadowed by the national team's early elimination, Korea's complete absence from the World Cup officiating roster offers perhaps the clearest reflection of the shortcomings of the KFA and its management.
KFA leadership cannot escape responsibility for neglecting referee development, allowing Korea's international standing in football officiating to diminish.
If Korea hopes to end a drought that has now stretched 24 years, rebuilding its referee development system from the ground up must become an urgent priority. Those leading the community should also ask themselves whether they have devoted more energy to protecting their own positions than to strengthening the profession as a whole.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.