Vice Sports Minister Addresses Concerns Over Government Influence in South Korean Football

Seoul: South Korea's vice sports minister addressed concerns on Wednesday regarding the potential perception of government interference in the operations of the national football federation through a committee formed to innovate the sport. According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim Dae-hyun, the second vice minister of culture, sports, and tourism, defended the advisory role of the K-Football Innovation Committee during a press briefing in Seoul. The committee was established in early July following South Korea's early exit from the group stage at the FIFA World Cup. Initially, Chae Hwi-young, the minister of culture, sports, and tourism, was appointed as a co-head of the committee alongside former national team captain Park Ji-sung. However, Chae later stepped down, allowing Ryu Seung-min, president of the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee, to assume the role. The ministry explained that the committee is tasked with conducting "comprehensive discussions" to enhance South Korean football's global competitiveness . The focus areas include governance within the Korea Football Association (KFA), youth development, and the adoption of new technologies. The committee has been actively meeting and has proposed several recommendations for the KFA, such as expanding the electorate for the KFA presidential election. FIFA, emphasizing the necessity of independence for its member associations, recently requested updates from the KFA on developments in Korean football and reminded them of their obligation to operate independently. Although FIFA had planned to send officials to South Korea for an inspection next week, the trip was postponed due to internal matters. Kim stated, "Before the launch of the committee, we all agreed that we must not give FIFA any reason to feel suspicious." He added that the removal of Chae from the co-head position was intended to prevent controversy. Despite Chae remaining on the committee as a member, Kim emphasized that it is merely an advisory body with no regulatory power, and Chae's involvemen t should not pose any issues. The committee also includes representatives from the KFA, and Kim expressed confidence that FIFA would not find fault with its activities. He referenced Article 19, Paragraph 1 of the FIFA Statutes, which mandates member associations to manage their affairs independently and without undue external influence. Violations of this statute can result in sanctions, even if the interference is not directly the fault of the member association.