Lee Lim-saeng, former technical director of the Korea Football Association (KFA) who played a leading role in the hiring of former national team head coach Hong Myung-bo, has been named technical director of Cambodian professional football club NagaWorld FC.
NagaWorld FC announced through its official social media on Saturday that it had "appointed Lee Lim-saeng as technical director," adding that "with the addition of technical director Lee Lim-saeng, we expect NagaWorld FC to grow into an even stronger team." It marks Lee's return to the professional football scene about five years after stepping down as head coach of Suwon Samsung in 2020.
Lee is regarded as the figure who effectively led Hong's appointment, taking over the coaching selection process in 2024 after Jung Hae-seong, then chairman of the national team reinforcement committee, resigned. At the time, foreign candidates such as Jesse Marsch (now head coach of the Canadian national team) and Gus Poyet (former Jeonbuk Hyundai head coach) went through interview procedures, but Hong was offered the national team coaching position directly by Lee without a separate interview, it was reported. Questions over procedural legitimacy arose over the fact that Lee, who had no authority to hire a coach, carried out the process, and that the method bypassed the national team reinforcement committee.
In response, Lee explained that "there were no procedural problems," saying, "I was delegated all authority by Chairman Chung Mong-gyu and made the decision transparently and on my own." Regarding the salary negotiation process, he also said, "There is a salary gap between foreign coaches and Korean coaches, and I confidently demanded this part (from the football association) as well," adding, "I cannot disclose the amount, but I have the belief that Korean coaches should now be treated no less than foreign coaches." According to data released last month by global sports salary analysis outlet "Salary Leaks," Hong's annual salary was estimated at about 2.16 million euros (about 3.8 billion won).
However, Hong showed below-expectation performances in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America, and Korea failed to advance to the round of 32. He announced his resignation only after all possible scenarios had disappeared, and left for Los Angeles two days after returning home. Chung Mong-gyu, the association chairman who had expressed his intention to resign even before the World Cup, also submitted his resignation. With Lee now leaving for Cambodia as well, all the key figures who led the appointment at the time have ended up staying overseas.
The National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee is pushing to hold a hearing on the Korea Football Association. Hong and Lee are being mentioned as key witnesses, but whether they will actually attend remains unclear. Under the law on testimony and appraisal before the National Assembly, witnesses staying overseas may submit a statement explaining their absence. The National Assembly's compulsory attendance system also has no binding force in ordinary hearings, meaning there is effectively no way to force attendance.
