South Korea legend Park Ji-sung has launched a scathing criticism of the Korea Football Association (KFA), warning that the national team is repeating the same mistakes that led to its disappointing 2014 World Cup campaign.
Speaking while assessing South Korea’s current World Cup preparations, the former Manchester United midfielder pointed the finger squarely at the country’s football leadership rather than the players on the pitch.
“We’re just making the same mistakes from 2014,” Park said. “The KFA is most responsible.”
Park’s comments have reignited debate around the direction of South Korean football and the role of the federation in overseeing the national team.
His comments arrive at a difficult moment for South Korea, whose hopes of reaching the knockout stages were dealt a major blow by back-to-back defeats to Mexico and South Africa.
Those results left them third in Group A and needing help from elsewhere to keep their World Cup campaign alive.
Widely regarded as one of the country’s greatest-ever players, the 43-year-old remains an influential figure within the game and his criticism carries significant weight among supporters.
The reference to 2014 is particularly pointed. South Korea endured a miserable World Cup in Brazil, finishing bottom of their group with just one point from three matches.
The tournament sparked widespread criticism of the national team’s preparation, coaching structure and the KFA’s decision-making.
More than a decade later, Park believes many of the same underlying issues remain unresolved.
Rather than questioning the quality of the current squad, Park’s remarks focused on what he views as systemic problems within South Korean football.
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His comments come amid ongoing scrutiny of the KFA’s leadership and decision-making processes, with sections of the fanbase expressing frustration over the federation’s long-term planning and management of the national team.
The criticism has resonated strongly on social media, where many supporters echoed Park’s concerns and called for significant reform within the governing body.
One post sharing the comments urged the KFA to “clean house now”, reflecting growing frustration among fans ahead of another World Cup cycle.
South Korea remain one of Asia’s traditional football powers and have qualified for every World Cup since 1986.
However, Park’s warning suggests that qualification alone is no longer enough, with questions continuing to surround whether the structures behind the national team are capable of delivering sustained success on the biggest stage.
For many supporters, the comments represent more than a critique of the current team. They are a challenge to the administrators responsible for shaping the future of South Korean football.
