The effect of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's demand for heavy disciplinary action against Chairman Chung Mong-gyu and others has been suspended. The court accepted the Korea Football Association's request to suspend execution to seek an appellate ruling on the matter.
According to legal sources on the 13th, the Seoul High Court on the 12th granted the Korea Football Association's request to suspend execution of the notification of the results of a special audit and the demand for measures filed against the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST).
The court said it would suspend the effect of the special audit results and the demand for measures that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) notified the Korea Football Association in Nov. 2024. The period runs until the 30th day from the date the appellate judgment on the merits is delivered.
At the hearing on the 11th, the court said there is a concern that the applicant may suffer irreparable harm due to the disposition of notifying the special audit results and demanding measures, and noted there is an urgent need to suspend the effect of the disposition to prevent it.
Earlier, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) announced the results of the audit of the football association and demanded heavy disciplinary action of "at least suspension of eligibility" for key figures including Chairman Chung Mong-gyu. The football association filed an objection, but the ministry did not accept it.
Accordingly, the football association filed an administrative suit in Jan. last year seeking to revoke the MCST's disposition and also applied for a stay of execution.
When the court granted the stay of execution at the time, Chung ran for a fourth consecutive term and was elected in Feb. last year. The stay of execution was finalized by the Supreme Court in Sep. last year.
However, in the administrative suit, the football association lost at the first trial on Apr. last year. The Seoul Administrative Court did not find the MCST's demand for heavy disciplinary measures to be unjust or contrary to law.
On the 6th of last month, the football association held a board meeting and decided to appeal the first-instance ruling in the administrative suit. As part of the appeal process, it also applied for a stay of execution.
Under the football association's rules, if the president receives a disciplinary action of suspension of eligibility or higher, the presidency is forfeited. However, Chung said on the 29th of last month that he would step down as president when the 2026 North and Central America World Cup ends.