Cheonan: Chung Mong-gyu resigned as head of the national football federation on Monday. The Korea Football Association (KFA) stated that Chung submitted his formal resignation letter earlier in the day after presiding over his final meeting with senior executives at Korea Football Park in Cheonan, some 90 kilometers south of Seoul. Chung had been at the helm since January 2013.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Chung announced on May 29 that he would step down as KFA president following the end of the ongoing FIFA World Cup. Although the tournament will conclude on July 20 in South Korean time, Chung chose to leave his post two weeks early after the national team's unexpected elimination from the group stage. South Korea, coached by Hong Myung-bo, finished third in Group A with three points from a win and two losses, failing to progress to the last 16 as one of the eight best third-place teams. Hong resigned immediately after the team's fate was sealed.
Chung faced criticism for what many claimed was an opaque process in hiring Hong in July 2024. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism conducted a probe into the KFA's operations that year and concluded that Chung and other senior KFA officials must be disciplined for a series of irregularities. The KFA is currently in a legal battle with the ministry, which plans to launch another audit into the football body following the World Cup exit.
Per KFA regulations, one of the organization's four vice presidents will assume the role of interim president before the election. In a statement released by the KFA, Chung thanked football fans for their support and apologized for moments of disappointment. "While shouldering a major responsibility as head of the KFA, I have pursued nothing but development and glory for Korean football," Chung said. "There were moments when I lived up to expectations and moments when I only left you deeply disappointed. All the success is thanks to our players and fans, and all the mistakes are my responsibilities."
Chung expressed his intention to remain a passionate fan of football and added, "I am convinced that Korean football will overcome so much adversity and reach great heights once again, as it has always done."