Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Seoul: The Korea Football Association has announced that Kim Pan-gon will chair the body's national football team coach appointment committee.
Kim, who was the Hong Kong national team coach prior to the appointment, will be responsible for hiring coaches for the Korea Republic senior national team and the U-23 side.
His first job will be finding a tactician for the Korea Republic Olympic football team for the 2020 Tokyo Games.
"Although Kim didn't have an outstanding career as a player, he has proven his ability as a coach and administrator," the KFA said in a statement.
"His appointment is meaningful because it shows those who didn't play for the national team can also take important roles if they are talented."
After playing for Korea Republic clubs like Ulsan Hyundai and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the 1990s, Kim started his coaching career as a player-manager for Hong Kong outfit the Buler Rangers in 2003.
He then worked as an assistant coach for Korea Republic's Busan IPark FC.
Kim is best known for his work with the Hong Kong national team.
The 48-year-old first coached Hong Kong's senior squad and Under-23 team in 2009. He led the senior team to the finals of the 2010 East Asian Football Championship.
After having a brief stint with Korean side Gyeongnam FC as chief assistant coach in 2011, he returned to Hong Kong a year later to coach their national team and even served as the nation's technical director.
Kim later helped Hong Kong reach the round of 16 at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon.
Sources: Korea Football Association, Yonhap