Beleaguered S. Korean football chief elected to executive role at top Asian body

This April 5, 2024, file photo shows Korea Football Association President Chung Mong-gyu prior to a women’s friendly match between South Korea and the Philippines at Icheon Stadium in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province. (Yonhap)

Korea Football Association (KFA) President Chung Mong-gyu was elected to the decision-making body of the Asian governing organization Thursday, a move that likely indicates Chung’s drive for another term at the South Korean helm.

Chung was elected to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Executive Committee during the 34th AFC Congress in Bangkok on Thursday. Chung ran unopposed for a seat on the committee and will mark his return to global football diplomacy after losing in an election for his second term on the FIFA Council in 2019.

Chung will be serving on the AFC committee until 2027.

Chung’s decision to run for the AFC position apparently shows his desire to stay on and go for a fourth term as the KFA honcho despite growing calls for his resignation.

Chung, who has been the KFA’s president since January 2013, has been under fire for more than a year.

In March 2023, Chung, in celebration of South Korea’s advance to the round of 16 at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, sought to reinstate 100 former or active players, coaches and referees who had been penalized for misconduct. However, the list included 48 ex-players who were banned for match-fixing charges, and it drew scathing criticism from fans and even from the football community.

Chung apologized and scrapped plans to reinstate anyone. All KFA vice presidents and the entire board of directors resigned en masse to take the fall, though Chung himself remained in his place.

The pressure on Chung went up a few notches in February this year after South Korea failed to end their 64-year title drought at the AFC Asian Cup.

Critics called on Chung to step down and hold himself accountable for the country’s poor showing. Chung was also criticized for hiring since-dismissed head coach Jurgen Klinsmann in the first place, despite the German coach’s questionable track record at previous stops.

After announcing the firing of Klinsmann in February, Chung sidestepped questions about his status.

“We’ll take further steps to analyze the reasons for the situation we’re in and come up with measures accordingly,” Chung said on Feb. 16. “As the leader of the organization that runs national football teams, I will humbly accept any criticism, and I’d like to apologize to football fans.”

In late April, the South Korean men’s under-23 national team failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics, the first time the country won’t compete at the quadrennial event since 1984. That led to even more pressure on Chung to resign as the leader of the underachieving country.

But with the next KFA president election set for January 2025, Chung has not budged.

Those going for a fourth term as head of a national sports federation must have their candidacy approved by the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) prior to an election. And with Chung already holding down an AFC post, the KSOC will likely give Chung the green light to seek another term at the KFA next year.

When asked in February if he would indeed run for a fourth term at the KFA, Chung replied: “During our general assembly in 2018, I changed the articles of association so that a KFA president could only have three terms. However, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee and the sports ministry did not approve of the change. I will let that answer the question about my future.”