There were no cries of "Jung Mong-gyu out" from Yongin. There were no boos towards the Korea Football Association or the team.
At the fourth Asian qualifying match for the 2026 FIFA U.S.-North Korea World Cup held at Yongin Mir Stadium on Monday, the Red Devils only shouted for the national team. After the match against Palestine ended last month, the Red Devils announced that they would no longer boo at home games. However, fans are still calling for the resignation of Chung Mong-kyu, president of the Korea Football Association.
Chairman Chung Mong-gyu attended the National Assembly with key figures of the association on April 24. This was to answer questions on pending issues at the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee. Chairman Chung Mong-gyu was at a loss for more than seven hours of intense questioning. Before attending the National Assembly, I even wondered what kind of preparations the association had prepared.
Lee Ki-heung, chairman of the Korea Sports and Olympic Committee, was also present at the National Assembly at the time. Lee is seeking his third term in the January 2016 election, but his stumbling block is his conflict with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, which indicates his commitment to reform the sports community. Recently, the ministry requested the committee to conduct a public inspection of the public interest. The ministry pointed out the possibility of violating the national contract law and the execution of excessive budget through excessive private contracts.
In addition, fairness of the Sports Fair Committee was under fire in a question on pending issues by the National Assembly's stylistic committee last month. It was pointed out that the Sports Fair Committee, which determines whether the chairman of the Korea Sports Council is eligible for a second term, is composed of people close to Chairman Lee Ki-heung. This is why some say that the behind-the-scenes work has already been completed for the third consecutive term.
As a result, voices of reform have grown louder in the sports community, and a rival for the presidential election in January next year has emerged. On March 9, Yoo Seung Min, former president of the Korea Table Tennis Association, resigned as chairman and declared his candidacy for the election of the Korea Sports Council. He is a gold medalist in table tennis singles at the 2004 Athens Olympics, and has experience in sports administration at home and abroad, serving as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2016 and the president of the Korea Table Tennis Association in 2019. During his tenure as the president of the Korea Table Tennis Association, he launched the professional league and successfully held the Busan World Championships early this year.
Also, on the 30th of last month, Kim Yong-joo, head of the National Council of Sports Ministers, officially announced his challenge to become the head of the Korea Sports Council. A former cyclist who served as coach and coach of the national cycling team, chairman of the Gangwon Provincial Sports Council, director of Gangwon FC in the K League 1 professional soccer, and chairman of the National Council of Ministers of Sports and Olympic Committee, he is considered an expert in sports administration who will lead the resolution of the challenges facing the Korea Sports Council and reform of Korean sports based on his years of experience as head of local sports administration and sports organizations. Major pledges include establishing a sports office to establish a detailed sports administration system, expanding government support for sports for sports for all, and raising the local sports budget. Currently, more than 40% of the population participates in sports for all, but the sports sector budget is far short, he argues. He also advocated improving the treatment of sports leaders, fostering excellent players and leaders, and supporting overseas expansion.
Kang Shin-wook, a Dankook University professor who served as president of the Korea Sports Association, also plans to hold a press conference on Sunday to formalize his candidacy for the election of the chairman of the Korea Sports Association. In response, the 42nd election for the chairman of the Korea Sports Association, scheduled for January next year, is expected to see fierce competition among emerging forces challenging the stronghold of Chairman Lee Ki-heung.
On the other hand, the world of soccer is different. There is no rival for Chung. Chung Mong-gyu, who succeeded in serving three terms since his first inauguration in 2013, and is running for a fourth term in an election early next year, repeatedly said, "I will make a careful decision," when asked whether he would run in the National Assembly as well. His bid for a fourth term in office, in which he wants the completion of the Cheonan Football Center and the Korean-style divisional league during his term, is becoming a fait accompli.
Recently, there was talk in the soccer community that former national team members A and B could run for president. Also, C, a former chairman of the provincial football association, is considering running for president. However, most of them have the condition that they would take on the challenge if Chung Mong-gyu steps down. The prevailing view in the soccer community is that no matter how prestigious a person is, it will never be easy to turn a blind eye to the Hyundai family, who has led the KFA for decades and exerted absolute influence. 토토사이트
After all, if Chung Mong-gyu does not step down on his own, there is not a high possibility that he will change his position. However, he does not want to see any more wrongdoing by the Korea Football Association over the past few years, and someone should step up to ensure a sound and sound administration. We no longer want to see regrettable attempts by surprise amnesty, including match manipulators, failure to win the Asian Cup title for the first time in 64 years, and failure to advance to the Olympic finals for the first time in 40 years. Regardless of whether they are businessmen or former athletes, competent people should challenge themselves. Without an alternative, there is no possibility that Chung Mong-gyu's presidency will change. This is an important issue that determines the next four years.