"Definitely Not 3.8 Billion Won"… 1.8 Billion Won Gap Between Hong Myung-bo's Estimated 3.8 Billion and Reported 2 Billion Salary
The official confirmed amount of Hong Myung-bo's salary has not been disclosed. He denied at the hearing the figure of about 3.8 billion won, which is the conversion of the 2.16 million euros in overseas tallies, and the figure reported in Korea is about 2 billion won.
Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.
On July 30, 2026, a Korea Football Association hearing was held at the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee. The question about salary was directed at Hong Myung-bo, former head coach of the South Korea men's national football team. His answer was short and firm: "Definitely not 3.8 billion won." However, the actual amount never came out. He explained that he could not disclose it because of a contractual clause.
Hong Myung-bo Denies 3.8 Billion Won Salary: 3 Answers From the Hearing
Yonhap News reported that his answers that day fell into three parts. First, he denied the 3.8 billion won figure. He did not disclose the actual amount, citing a contractual clause. He also added an explanation to the effect that he did not demand a salary increase and accepted the amount the association offered. His denial was also reported by OSEN on the same day.
2 Billion Won vs. 2.16 Million Euros: 1.8 Billion Won Gap Between the Two Reports
Edaily cited SalaryLeaks' June 26 release in its June 27 report. The amount was 2.16 million euros, about 3.8 billion won at the exchange rate at the time, and the ranking was 16th among World Cup managers. A day later, an OSEN article published in Money Today also mentioned SalaryLeaks but put the figure at about 2 billion won and 24th place.
Comparison of Hong Myung-bo salary estimates in the two reports
| Category | Edaily (2026.06.27) | OSEN·Money Today (2026.06.28) |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated salary | 2.16 million euros (about 3.8 billion won at the time) | About 2 billion won |
| Estimated World Cup manager ranking | 16th | 24th |
| Cited source | SalaryLeaks (released June 26) | Mentions SalaryLeaks |
| Nature | Estimate (he denied the 3.8 billion won figure on July 30) | Reported figure (not an amount confirmed by contract) |
Subtracting 2 billion won from 3.8 billion won leaves a gap of 1.8 billion won. The rankings also differ by 8 places, and in terms of amount alone, one is nearly double the other. SalaryLeaks said it estimated only base salary, drawing on public contracts, official announcements and credible reports, and excluded bonuses and incentives. Neither figure is an amount confirmed by a contract. Nor does the fact that several outlets re-cited SalaryLeaks data mean it has been independently verified.
Hong Myung-bo's Estimated Salary Ranks 16th, 40,000 Euros Behind the Spot Above
Estimated salaries of 2026 World Cup managers (as of 2026.06.26 · team at the time)
| Rank | Manager | National team at the time | Estimated salary (euros) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Julen Lopetegui | Qatar | 2.4 million |
| 15 | Vincenzo Montella | Türkiye | 2.2 million |
| 16 | Hong Myung-bo | South Korea | 2.16 million |
| 17 | Néstor Lorenzo | Colombia | 2 million |
| 18 | Sebastián Beccacece | Ecuador | 2 million |
| 29 | Hajime Moriyasu | — | 821,000 |
Ranks 14 to 18 are based on Flashscore's table citing SalaryLeaks, and 29th is based on the table cited by Edaily. The numbering for 17th and 18th follows the original table. This is not an official salary ranking.
Hong trails 15th-place Vincenzo Montella (2.2 million euros) by 40,000 euros and 14th-place Julen Lopetegui (2.4 million euros) by 240,000 euros. The 17th and 18th places, at 2 million euros, are 160,000 euros behind him. In the same table cited by Edaily, Hajime Moriyasu was 29th at 821,000 euros. Dividing 2.16 million by 821,000 gives about 2.6 times. However, this ranking is based on an estimate table rather than an official salary ranking, and Hong denied the report converting the figure to about 3.8 billion won.
Hong Myung-bo's Contract Ran Through the 2027 Asian Cup; Remaining Salary Unconfirmed
According to Edaily and Yonhap News, the contract term announced when he was appointed in July 2024 ran through the 2027 Asian Cup. That contract did not run its full course. At the 2026 North America World Cup, South Korea beat the Czech Republic 2-1, then lost 0-1 in succession to Mexico and South Africa. Finishing third in Group A, they were eliminated, and he resigned on June 29.
Timeline from contract to hearing
| Date | Details |
|---|---|
| 2024.07 | Appointed national team manager; contract through the 2027 Asian Cup |
| 2026.06 | Eliminated from the North America World Cup in 3rd place in Group A (1 win, 2 losses) |
| 2026.06.26 | SalaryLeaks releases 2.16 million euro estimate |
| 2026.06.27~28 | Edaily reports about 3.8 billion won, 16th; OSEN reports about 2 billion won, 24th |
| 2026.06.29 | Resigns as manager |
| 2026.07.30 | Denies 3.8 billion won figure at National Assembly hearing; amount undisclosed |
He stepped down with time left on his contract, so one wonders about his remaining salary and any penalty payment. But as of September 2026, none of the total contract value, remaining salary, penalty or severance settlement has been confirmed. Nor can it be calculated by multiplying the estimated salary by the number of months remaining, because the salary to multiply has not been established. His new affiliation and current income also need to be checked separately.
Hong Myung-bo, 57, Joint 2nd All-Time With 136 A-Matches
Hong Myung-bo was born on February 12, 1969, and as of September 23, 2026, he is 57 years old. He made his professional debut with the Pohang Jecheol Atoms. He then went to Japan and played for Bellmare Hiratsuka and Kashiwa Reysol. He returned to the Pohang Steelers in 2002, then moved to the LA Galaxy that November. His career K League record is 156 appearances, 14 goals and 8 assists. As a coach, he managed Ulsan HD.
South Korea men's all-time A-match appearances ranking (Korea Football Association, as of 2026.07.01)
| Rank | Player | Appearances (matches) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Son Heung-min | 147 |
| Joint 2 | Cha Bum-kun | 136 |
| Joint 2 | Hong Myung-bo | 136 |
| 4 | Lee Woon-jae | 133 |
| 5 | Lee Young-pyo | 127 |
In the Korea Football Association's table, Hong Myung-bo is joint second with Cha Bum-kun, with 136 A-matches and 10 goals. He is 11 matches behind first-place Son Heung-min (147 matches) and 3 matches ahead of fourth-place Lee Woon-jae (133 matches). Earlier profiles list 135 matches and 9 goals, but this article follows the association's official tally. Because the table is as of July 1, it has not been updated to reflect the current September ranking.
His remark at the hearing is, for now, the most certain answer: "Definitely not 3.8 billion won."
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How much is Hong Myung-bo's salary?
The official confirmed amount has not been disclosed. OSEN reported about 2 billion won, and SalaryLeaks estimated 2.16 million euros (about 3.8 billion won). Hong Myung-bo denied the 3.8 billion won figure at the hearing on July 30, 2026, and did not reveal the actual amount, citing a contractual clause.
Q. How old is Hong Myung-bo?
He was born on February 12, 1969, and is 57 years old as of September 23, 2026.
Q. Until when did Hong Myung-bo's contract run?
The contract term announced when he was appointed in July 2024 ran through the 2027 Asian Cup. He resigned after the team was eliminated in the group stage of the June 2026 World Cup, and his remaining salary and any settlement amount have not been confirmed.
Q. Where did Hong Myung-bo's salary rank among World Cup managers?
Based on the June 2026 estimate tables, the Edaily report had him 16th and the OSEN report had him 24th. Both outlets cited SalaryLeaks but the values differed, and neither is an official ranking.
Related official sites
- Korea Football Association official website — national team news and official announcements from the association
- Korea Football Association official national team records — source data for all-time A-match appearance and goal rankings
- Korea Professional Football League Hall of Fame: Hong Myung-bo's record — career K League record and playing history
Representative image · Archive photo · Not an on-site photo of a current match in the article · Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Republic of Korea), CC BY-SA 2.0
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