Park Moon-sung, a soccer commentator who recently asked about pending issues at the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee on the Korea Football Association and others and said bitterly in front of Chung Mong-kyu, president of the Korea Football Association, expressed his frustration on the 27th, saying, “Does soccer stop unless it is a ‘modern family’?”
“If it’s not Chairman Chung Mong-gyu, will Korean soccer regress?” member Park said in an appearance on YTN earlier in the day. “We should give other people a chance,” he said. “If someone else comes, there will be a valley because Hyundai has done something for 30 years, but we need such a change if we want to grow one more step with a long breath.”
Park’s question of whether there will be a big problem with South Korea’s soccer if it is not for Chairman Chung or Hyundai came out during criticism, saying, “I think soccer has been done a lot if Hyundai family has done it for 30 years.” Earlier, when the host said, “If only the president of the Korea Football Association changes, the task remains whether the Korea Football Association changes,” he said, “We cannot change the world overnight,” and added, “If you look at the way we live, the water will rot if it is too high, so let’s make a change.”
Chung Mong-joon, the chairman of the Asan Foundation, the son of the late Hyundai Group Honorary Chairman Chung Ju-yung, served as the president of the Korea Football Association from 1993 to 2009, and Chung (Chairman of HDC Hyundai Industrial Development), the nephew of Chairman Chung Mong-joon, has been the chairman of the association since 2013.
In other words, a pan-modern figure has been at the top of the association for nearly 30 years, and it is not irrelevant to the 1980s when the soccer community demanded the president of the “businessman” soccer association for funding. Earlier, from 1988 to 1993, Daewoo Group Chairman Kim Woo-joong led the soccer association, which was inseparable from corporate contributions. It is pointed out that it is not easy to announce a candidacy in a situation where the influence of a specific person has been strong for a long time, although a new person must challenge to solve the long-term power problem.
To the host, who was curious about what the power of the president of the Korea Football Association is and what kind of position he is aiming for a “serial term,” Park replied, “I don’t know why I want to serve four consecutive terms like this.” “Although Chairman Chung Mong-gyu’s system has been over 10 years, the Korea Football Association has been a modern family,” he said, adding, “There is a controversy over privatization because it has been done for a long time, but I don’t know why I want to do it so long.”
However, looking back on Chung’s 20 years as president of the Professional Football Federation in the past, Park pointed out, “It can be interpreted as Chung’s concern that the resignation now will be a defeat for what he has been doing.” Rather than responding to pressure to clear up his own future, it is interpreted as an analysis that Chairman Chung seeks to make up for it.
“The president of the Korea Football Association is a very shining position on the international stage,” Park said. “If you go to a FIFA-organized position, you will receive a presidential protocol,” he added. He repeatedly pointed out the reason why Chairman Chung did not want to step down, and he also questioned, “I wonder if the Hyundai family should decide (Chairman Chung’s future).”
“The electors consist of 100 to 200 people, including heads of associations under the Korea Professional Football Association, representatives of athletes, coaches, and referees,” said Park, who used the term “gym election” to mean that the election for the president of the Korea Football Association will be held behind closed doors in the current questionnaire. All of them are under the influence of the president of the Korea Football Association. In other words, if they come together to “elect the president of the Korea Football Association” at a time when it is impossible for soccer fans to participate at all, they will naturally choose the chairman they serve.
Park also raised the issue with the expression “volunteer service” used by the national team coach Hong Myung-bo in his questioning on pending issues. Criticism has already been raised as to whether the managerial post, which is paid 2 billion won per year, can be regarded as a service. “If I make 100 concessions and come here with a salary cut when I was a professional team member, I would say ‘I can do it,’ but how can I understand (using the word “volunteer service” when I was a professional team member?” Park said, adding, “It can be understood as Hong’s idea that ‘it’s not possible for me or for Korean soccer,’ and Park stressed, “Even coaches who study without names can fully serve as national team coaches.” 스포츠토토
The national team will play the third Asian qualifying round for the 2020 North-China World Cup against Jordan and Iraq next month. “I think Son Heung-min should play more roles this time,” Park said. “I hope he can console the players by saying, ‘Let’s focus’ as a leader since he has a lot of experience.”