The Korea Football Association (KFA) says it has compiled a list of seven foreign candidates for the post of national team head coach.

A senior KFA official said the number of candidates had been narrowed to seven foreign coaches out of a total of 31, including 10 Koreans.

He said the KFA would continue to keep confidential the details of the selection process, including the names of the seven remaining candidates, in order to prevent unnecessary misunderstanding and speculation.

The position has been vacant since Jo Bonfrere resigned as national team coach last month, under heavy fire for the team's recent poor performance.

The KFA official declined to elaborate on the candidates' names or negotiating schedule, warning that speculative media reports could ruin the negotiations.

Another high-ranking KFA official reiterated that Korean candidates were not among the list of seven names.

He also said foreign football coaches working in South Korea may be included in the final list of candidates.