Seoul: Chung Mong-gyu, the current head of the national football body, has called on his opponents to end what he describes as “groundless slandering” in their campaigns for the presidency of the Korea Football Association (KFA), as he seeks a fourth term. Chung made this plea during a press conference on Tuesday, emphasizing the need to focus on pressing issues within the KFA given the recent setbacks in the election process, which is now rescheduled for February 26 after facing several delays.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Chung is one of three candidates in the race, alongside Huh Jung-moo, a former head coach of the South Korean men’s national team, and Shin Moon-sun, a former television football analyst. The election was initially scheduled for January 8, but a series of events, including an injunction filed by Huh and the resignation of the election management committee, led to its postponement. Chung expressed relief that a new date has been set but lamented the unresolved issues due to the delays.
The court had earlier stopped the proceedings following Huh’s concerns about the election management committee’s composition, alleging a bias towards Chung. He also claimed that the KFA aimed to exclude certain voters from the electoral process, a sentiment echoed by Shin. After the committee’s resignation, the KFA formed a new election committee comprising members from various sectors, including the National Election Commission, legal field, media, and academia, with Park Yeong-soo appointed as its head.
Amidst these developments, the KFA filed an administrative suit against the sports ministry, challenging its call to penalize Chung following an investigation that found rule violations. The ministry’s demand for Chung’s suspension was dismissed by the KFA, leading to a legal dispute. However, the Seoul Administrative Court ruled in favor of the KFA, allowing Chung to continue his candidacy, citing the need to prevent “irreparable damage” from disciplinary actions.
Chung, while addressing the matter, suggested possible misunderstandings between the KFA and the ministry but refrained from discussing the lawsuit in detail. He expressed gratitude for the additional time provided by the election delays, which allowed him to engage with various football stakeholders across the country. Chung reiterated his commitment to developing a new generation of football administrators if elected, acknowledging past shortcomings in nurturing future leaders within Korean football.