Chung Mong-gyu (62), president of the Korea Football Association, expressed his willingness to seek a fourth term. Despite the strong negative public opinion, he has decided to seek a fourth term to complete the issues he has been working on during his tenure, including the Cheonan Football Center.
Chairman Chung Mong-gyu met with reporters ahead of the Hana Bank K League Awards ceremony held at the Swiss Grand Hotel in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul on the 29th and said, “There are still many procedures, so I will tell you later when it is organized,” but added, “We will apply for a candidate review.”
Even after the awards ceremony, Chairman Chung said, “I thought I should finish various things well, so I decided to challenge myself.” On the previous day, after a series of news was reported through officials from the Korea Football Association that Chairman Chung Mong-gyu had decided to seek a fourth term, this time Chairman Chung Mong-gyu himself expressed his will to serve a fourth term.
In order for Chairman Chung Mong-kyu to seek a fourth term, he must announce his intention to register as a candidate for the 55th president of the Korea Football Association to the Korea Football Association, and submit documents to the Korea Sports Council’s Sports Fair Committee for a second term. Chairman Chung’s “multiple procedures” and “candidate screening” are interpreted as referring to this process to seek a fourth term.
On top of that, Chairman Chung is known to have a strong will to complete projects that began during his tenure, such as the construction of the Cheonan Football Center and the establishment of a division system. He does not hesitate to serve as a fourth term despite the strong negative public opinion surrounding him. It is in the same vein that he explained why he decided to take on the challenge, saying, “I have to finish well in various ways.”
Chairman Chung Mong-gyu, who has expressed his will to serve a fourth term in office, will submit documents related to his second term to the Sports Fair Committee of the Sports Council on the 2nd of next month to request a review of his second term, and will also submit a letter of resignation to the Korea Football Association. If he is approved to seek a fourth term in office afterwards, he is expected to announce his official position on running for president of the Korea Football Association through a press conference. While Lee Ki-heung, chairman of the Korea Sports Council, has already been approved for a third term in office, the prevailing view is that Chung Mong-gyu, chairman of the Korea Sports Council, will also be approved for a fourth term in office.
Coincidentally, former national soccer team coach Huh Jung-moo said in a statement entitled “Doesn’t Chung Mong-gyu hear the cries of soccer-loving people in his ears?” and directly criticized Chung, “What Chung should do now is not to declare his bid for a fourth term but to faithfully implement the requirements for action as a result of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s audit of illegal and unfair operation of the Korea Football Association.” As Chung himself expressed his will to serve a fourth term, however, chances are high that the next KFA presidential election, which will take place on January 8 next year, will be held as a primary. 안전놀이터
Chung Mong-gyu is the second person to officially announce his candidacy, following former coach Huh Jung-moo. The number of candidates could increase as other figures are also known to be considering running. The registration period for candidates is three days from next month 25 and the election is January 8 next year. If the race is held in which two or more candidates compete, it will be 12 years since the 2013 election, when Chung Mong-gyu was elected for the first time.