Robert Moreno has been appointed as South Korea's interim head coach. The 48-year-old Spaniard takes over after a difficult period for the national team.
He is the first Spanish coach to lead South Korea. His appointment comes after South Korea's group-stage exit from the 2026 World Cup in North America.
Moreno's First Squad and Upcoming Matches
Moreno named captain Son Heung-min in his first squad selection. Son currently plays for Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer.
The squad also includes Atletico Madrid's Lee Kang-in and Bayern Munich's Kim Min-jae. Moreno will lead the team through four friendly matches.
South Korea will face Ecuador and Uruguay in September. They will then play Venezuela and Uzbekistan in October.
The Korea Football Association said Moreno could stay on through the Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia. That tournament runs from January to February 2026, but his position remains subject to review.
Moreno said his goal is to bring positive results back to South Korean fans. He spoke about the team's approach ahead of the friendlies.
"We're going to try to do our work honestly and with the aim of making all Korean football fans happy," Moreno said. "Good matches, and trying to help the players."
Background on the Coaching Change
South Korea had been without a permanent coach since Hong Myung-bo departed. Hong left the role after the team's group-stage exit from the World Cup in June.
Hong's exit did not end public frustration with the team. Questions had already been raised about how he was hired for the position.
Police raided the Korea Football Association's headquarters last month. The raid was part of an investigation into Hong's 2024 appointment as coach.
The federation also apologized over separate allegations. Those allegations claimed the organization arranged entertainment for foreign referees.
Hong's decision to keep Son on the bench during the first half of the World Cup match against South Africa drew criticism. Many supporters were frustrated by the choice in what became a decisive game.
Moreno addressed his handling of Son's role going forward. "We're all aware of Son's versatility," he said. "For me he can play in three positions."
Moreno also responded to reports from his time coaching Sochi in Russia. He left that club in September 2025 following a poor run of results.
Reports at the time claimed Moreno used ChatGPT to help make decisions, including choices about player signings. Moreno rejected those claims on Monday.
"Obviously I use technology," Moreno said. "Anyone who spends 10 minutes looking into it can see that everything has been taken out of context and put together to cause harm."
