South Korean Coach Faces Risk of Losing Position After Defeat to U23 Vietnam

The Korea Football Association (KFA) has cut short Coach Lee Min Sung's contract and issued him an ultimatum after the surprising defeat against U23 Vietnam in the Asian competition.

Defeat to U23 Vietnam marked a major turning point for Lee Min Sung's future with the South Korean U23 team. Immediately after the shock at the Asian tournament, the KFA took decisive action by shortening the coach's contract instead of extending it through the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as initially planned.

According to the new ruling, Lee will only lead the team until the end of the 20th Asian Games held in Japan. This is seen as a clear “ultimatum” from the KFA, which has also quietly prepared a replacement plan. The establishment of a separate U21 team for long-term development indicates that South Korea no longer places full trust in the 51-year-old coach.

The loss to U23 Vietnam in the bronze medal match at the end of January was more than just an unfavorable result. For South Korean youth football, it was the first time they had ever lost to Vietnam in a title-deciding match. This setback severely damaged the pride of one of Asia’s leading football nations, forcing the KFA to publicly acknowledge it as a “hard-to-swallow pain.”

Technical analysis reveals that the decline of the U23 South Korean team is not a temporary phenomenon. At the 2026 U23 Asian Championship finals, the team displayed disjointed play, lacking cohesion and tactical clarity. Previously, they were defeated by Uzbekistan in the group stage and fell to U23 Japan in the semifinals, while friendly matches against Saudi Arabia and China also failed to show positive signs.

Although Coach Lee Min Sung presented a squad restructuring plan to the Strengthening Committee, the decision to grant him an extension until the 20th Asian Games remains highly controversial. Many believe the KFA is protecting its previous personnel choices rather than objectively assessing professional performance.

Thus, the 20th Asian Games become a critical milestone for Lee. If he fails to deliver convincing results, the loss to U23 Vietnam will be remembered as the beginning of the end of his tenure with the South Korean U23 team. At that point, the KFA’s decision to shorten his contract will stand as a pre-determined warning.