Wanted: new coach

By Yoon Chul

Staff reporter

South Korea's World Cup games for 2010 ended Saturday, but that does not mean the national team has nothing more to work on for the rest of the year.

A lot of fans are interested in what is to come for the squad, starting with the question: Who is going to take the helm?

Huh Jung-moo, who led the team to the top 16 in South Africa, has already said he will not remain in charge.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) has several options in its preparation for the next World Cup in 2014 in Brazil, and the incumbent Under-20 team manager Hong Myung-bo is the favorite to step up.

With the KFA needing to prepare for the AFC Asian Cup to be held from January 7 next year, the football-governing organization doesn't have much time to seek a new boss.

In addition, the national team is already scheduled to play some friendlies, including one against Iran in September.

Hong, a legendary defender who led the Korean team as captain in 2002, has been successful in his coaching career as well, as the 41-year-old led his side to the quarterfinals in the FIFA Under-20 World Cup last year.

Hong, who played in four World Cups until 2002, participated in the tournament as a coach in the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

The KFA is reportedly not considering recruiting a foreign coach for the moment.

"It is necessary to make a domestic footballer the boss over the long term," KFA President Cho Chung-yun said.

Several other candidates include national team assistant coach Chung Hae-soung, Under-17 team manager Lee Kwang-jong, who led the team to quarterfinals in the FIFA Under-17 World Cup last year, and 2008 Olympic team boss Park Sung-hwa.

The KFA could still turn overseas if the organization fails to find a new manager at home,.

No matter who takes charge of the team, it could be another "poisoned chalice" as referred to as the post years ago because he would have the Asian Games only four months away from now, as well as the Asian Cup coming after that.

In addition, the new coach might be inevitable be compared with Huh depending on the results of his first few matches.