Jurgen Klinsmann allegedly refused to live at Paju National Football Center due to its proximity to North Korea

On Friday, February 16, 2024, Jurgen Klinsmann was removed from his position as head coach of the South Korean national team by the Korean Football Association (KFA). Following this, the German publication Der Spiegel reported on his appointment as Korea's national football team coach last year and his friendship with KFA President Chung Mong-kyu.

"The KFA has decided to change the national head coach following a comprehensive review. Klinsmann’s attitude and competitiveness as head coach has fallen short of people’s expectations and it was agreed that this would not be improved going forward, so we have decided to change leadership ahead of 2026 World Cup qualifying games," Korea Football Association president Chung Mong-kyu said.

The publication examined Klinsmann's living situation, which was heavily criticized when he was coaching South Korea's national team. As per the magazine, Klinsmann was unhappy with the lodgings at the Paju National Football Center. He was reportedly not pleased with the location's proximity to the North Korean border and criticized the old amenities at the facility.

Additionally, the German publication stated that the coach's decision to live in California rather than South Korea sparked rumors that he would rather be in America than be close to the team.

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Jurgen Klinsmann fired as coach and Chung Mong-kyu under investigation for embezzlement and coercion

On Friday, AP News reported that Jurgen Klinsmann was sacked as head coach of the South Korean national team following the squad's loss in the recent Asian Cup semifinal and reports of discord among key players. Even before South Korea's shocking 2-0 loss to Jordan in the semifinals, Klinsmann was facing a great deal of criticism.

Recently, rumors surfaced in the media about a fight between captain Son Heung-min and 23-year-old Lee Kang-in a day before their match against Jordan. Media outlets such as The Sun reported that Lee Kang-in had punched Son Heung-min, who was left with a dislocated finger. However, the agency of Lee Kang-in refuted claims of any physical altercations.

"Misinformation is spreading and being shared as if it were the truth. We would like to correct this. The article claiming that Lee Kang In punched Son Heung Min’s face when he was grabbed by the collar is false," Lee Kang In’s lawyer said.

Meanwhile, on February 20, 2024, Der Spiegel reported, tracing back to how Jurgen Klinsmann and the KFA President first crossed paths. The former South Korean national team's coach met with the head of the Korea Football Association, Chung Mong-kyu, during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar's VIP area.

As per Korean news channel YTN, several sports insiders criticized Chung Mong-kyu for being unduly friendly and accommodating to Klinsmann and his demands, casting doubt on their relationship.

Chung Mong-kyu allegedly stood by his decisions in the face of criticism regarding the appointment of Klinsmann as the head coach, stating that the same level of scrutiny that went into hiring prior coaches was used in the selection procedure to bring Klinsmann on board.

Meanwhile, X user and a football fan (@KNTFootball) posted that Seoul's Jongno Police Station confirmed the investigation on February 19 into Chung Mong-kyu's involvement in alleged embezzlement in office, coercion, and obstruction of business. This further highlighted his relationship with Jurgen Klinsmann.

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Jurgen Klinsmann blamed for South Korea's defeat and Lee Kang-in

On February 6, 2024, South Korea went against Jordan and was defeated by a 2-0 score. Reportedly, the team had pleaded with Jurgen Klinsmann to sit out Lee Kang-in during the match; however, the coach turned a deaf ear to the requests. Later, the Korean Football Association held a meeting on February 15, and 8 out of 12 committee members voted in favor of Klinsmann's removal.

"For a number of reasons, we concluded that Klinsmann would no longer be able to show his leadership as head coach of the national team. We will report our conclusion to the KFA," the KFA's Technical Director Hwangbo Kwan said.

Meanwhile, the public is putting pressure on South Korean corporations represented by well-known football player Lee Kang-in to end their partnership after he attempted to assault national captain Son Heung-min. VnExpress reported that the 23-year-old rising star punched the South Korean national team captain, which has led to fans boycotting the products endorsed by Lee.

Previously, on February 14 (KST), Lee Kang-in issued an apology on his Instagram story for misbehaving with his seniors. Nonetheless, football fans were upset and began boycotting the products and brands he endorsed.

Additionally, a significant portion of the Instagram followers of the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder have demanded that the player's images be taken down from the chicken restaurant Arachi. The brand is reported to have paid more than KRW500 million ($374,000) in the past six months to showcase Lee's wares.

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Lee Kang-in may face a $750,000 fee penalty with advertisers backing out from their signed deals after the player got entangled in the controversy of hitting his captain.