Ahn Jung-hwan: "Football Association reform is urgent; if it fails again, I will stage a solo protest"

Former football player Ahn Jung-hwan appeared on the TikTok variety program "TikiTiki TakaTaka Talk Talk Show" on June 28 alongside former footballer Kim Nam-il and caster Yun Jang-hyeon. The three discussed the South Korea national football team's elimination from the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, focusing on the controversy and public anger that followed the team's results.

Ahn had previously drawn criticism after speaking about the backlash directed at South Korea manager Hong Myung-bo over his decision to substitute Son Heung-min early during the group-stage match against Mexico. Addressing the criticism at the time, Ahn said people were asking why Son had been taken off so early, but urged them to imagine what the reaction would have been if Cho Gue-sung's header had resulted in a goal in that situation. He told people not to speak recklessly, saying ordinary fans might react that way, but that people with no proper basis were making strange noise. Ahn stressed that he was on the national team's side, not Hong's side, and said that because he wanted his juniors to do well, he found it unpleasant when people tried to draw attention with claims that did not hold up.

Explaining those remarks again, Ahn said he accepted that he had made a mistake, but argued that he had not sworn at anyone. He framed the comments as a matter of personal expression, saying they were simply part of his freedom to speak his mind.

The program also revisited a moment after South Korea's defeat to South Africa, when Kim Young-kwang shouted "Hong Myung-bo, leave" through "Tikitaka Show" and received strong support from many viewers. Ahn had lowered his head during that situation, which led some people to think he was watching the mood around him. Ahn denied that interpretation, saying he had not been reading the room but looking at the script. He added that he was not someone who acted based on other people's reactions, and said it was actually Kim Young-kwang who had been watching him.

Ahn also rejected claims that he wanted to take a position inside the Korea Football Association. He said there were people who claimed he wanted a role there, but insisted that was not true. Ahn drew a clear line between himself and the association's current leadership, saying he had never worked with them even once while Chung Mong-gyu was president because he did not want to become like him.

He then addressed another line of criticism: that he had not sided with Park Joo-ho during the World Cup manager appointment process and had not openly criticized the Football Association. Ahn expressed frustration over that charge, saying he was not an insider and therefore could not know the internal details. He asked how he was supposed to act on something he did not know, and questioned whether critics simply wanted him to join in cursing the association.

Ahn concluded by emphasizing that reform of the Football Association is urgently needed. He described the present moment as a process of cleaning things up and said that if things go wrong again, he will go as far as staging a solo protest.