Following the FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) also supported Chairman Chung Mong-kyu.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) held the Annual Awards 2023, an award ceremony to look back on a year at the Seoul Campus Peace Hall of Kyung Hee University at 8 p.m. on the 29th.
The award ceremony was attended by AFC Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, as well as Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA.
Infantino reportedly visited the office of the Korea Football Association on the eve of the ceremony and held a separate meeting with Chairman Chung Mong-gyu.
Infantino said, “The Korea Football Association is running very well. FIFA values autonomy in sports. Everything is fine,” adding that he gave Chung Mong-gyu a boost.
Referring to the conversation he had with Infantino through reporters before the ceremony, Chairman Chung Mong-gyu said, “I explained it well in many ways. FIFA also reported it a lot, but they said they did not understand it well. I said, ‘Isn’t it the chairman’s responsibility after all?’
“President Infantino seemed to have a good understanding of what is happening in South Korea. It seems that FIFA is also monitoring what is on the media,” he added.
He explained the controversy over the appointment of the coach, saying, “I feel regretful that I saw it under a microscope. It was recommended by the Korea Electric Power Reinforcement Committee and appointed through appropriate measures.”
After the award ceremony, AFC President Salman supported the Korea Football Association.
Salman said, “The Republic of Korea is not a small country in Asia. It is a very big part of soccer. I don’t think it would have been possible without everyone’s support.”
“We need to see the future now. Sometimes instability hurts everyone,” he said, expressing his stance on the recent controversy by the Korea Football Association.
South Korea also said it should give strength as it is not doing badly in the 2026 North-China World Cup.
Salman said, “The Republic of Korea is operating stably and is racing to the top of the group. This means that something is going well. In recent years, the KFA has shown stable performance not only domestically but also within East Asia. Sometimes anything that causes anxiety can hurt everyone. We need to focus on how we can improve further in the future. I think that’s the only way we can all come together and solve the problem.”
The Korea Football Association (KFA) is driving around issues in recent months. It is due to reckless administration based on rule-of-thumb practices, Chairman Chung Mong-gyu’s attempt to serve a fourth term as a coach, and suspicions of unfairness in the process of appointing a coach.
Chairman Chung Mong-gyu showed his willingness to challenge for the fourth term. He was elected as an executive member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in May, and he was busy holding the AFC Awards in Seoul in October.
In particular, the Korea Football Association was suspected of being unfair when it appointed Hong Myung-bo in defiance of the procedure, although foreign candidates were a priority for the appointment of the head coach of the A national team.
The National Assembly’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee held a general meeting at 10 a.m. on the 24th of last month and asked pending questions about the Korea Football Association.
Chung Mong-kyu, chairman of the Korea Football Association, Hong Myung-bo, and Lee Im-saeng, director of the Korea Football Association, called as witnesses and asked various questions.
Chairman Chung Mong-kyu said in a questioning session on the current issue, “I can’t agree with the fact that all football activities are for a second term, and history will evaluate it eventually.”
As for whether to challenge for the fourth term, he said, “We will carefully decide on our future course and carefully open all possibilities for the development of Korean soccer.”
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism pointed out that a director Lee, who is not qualified for the work of the Power Reinforcement Committee, recommended the director and interviewed him.
In particular, director Lee Im-saeng’s visit to director Hong Myung-bo in person was a judgment that there was a controversy over preferential treatment compared to other candidates.
Chairman Chung Mong-gyu said, “One of the most important principles in personnel management is that we do not disclose candidates who have not been selected. This situation is also true for foreign leaders.”
Chairman Chung Mong-gyu visited the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic and returned home after completing his schedule and attended a national audit on the 24th.
Chairman Chung Mong-gyu said at the meeting, “I don’t think it was perfect. There were some parts that were insufficient, but I worked hard according to the regulations,” mentioning the controversy over the appointment of the coach.
He also said, “I’ve never said that I’m going to run for a fourth term. I’ll make a decision after careful consideration,” expressing his position on a second term. 안전놀이터
