Former commentator Shin Moon-sun extended congratulatory greetings to Jeong Mong-kyu, who succeeded in his fourth term as president of the Korea Football Association, while accepting the election results.

The election for the 55th president of the Korea Football Association was held on the 26th at the Soccer Center on the second floor of Sinmunro, Jongno-gu, Seoul. On that day, candidate Jeong Mong-kyu received overwhelming support with 156 votes out of 183 cast from the 192-member electoral college, confirming his election. With a vote rate of 85.25%, he literally overwhelmed his opponents, continuing the Jeong Mong-kyu era in Korean football.

Ahead of this election, Jeong Mong-kyu's KFA faced unprecedented turmoil. A series of incidents surrounding the national team head coach position, which began shortly after the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, severely damaged public opinion. After the appointment of coach Jurgen Klinsmann, the failure of the 2024 Qatar Asian Cup plunged Korean football into an unprecedented crisis.

In a situation where confusion in the national team continued without a formal coach since March, former Strengthening Committee Chairman Jeong Hae-sung resigned, further delaying the appointment of a new formal coach. Ultimately, the appointment of coach Hong Myung-bo was decided, but as public opinion worsened surrounding that process, it led to Jeong Mong-kyu and coach Hong Myung-bo being called to the National Assembly.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism requested ‘a punishment exceeding suspension of qualification’ for Chairman Jeong Mong-kyu, who sparked various controversies, while announcing the results of a specific audit of the KFA last November. The KFA objected to the Ministry's audit results. However, the Ministry did not accept this and concluded with a dismissal ruling in last month’s re-examination.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism notified the KFA of a three-day deadline for imposing severe penalties, but the KFA filed an administrative lawsuit to overturn the demand for penalties exceeding suspension of qualification, causing the deadline to be postponed. And as the court accepted the request for suspension of enforcement regarding the Ministry's penalties, the election was able to proceed without any issue.

The court temporarily suspended the effectiveness of the Ministry's severe penalty request against Chairman Jeong, meaning that the legitimacy of his penalty will be determined in future principal lawsuits. According to the KFA's Articles of Association, anyone who receives a penalty exceeding suspension of qualification cannot be elected as an officer. If the severe penalties requested by the Ministry were finalized, Chairman Jeong would have been unable to run in the election, but everything proceeded without a problem.

Previously, Chairman Jeong Mong-kyu was elected after a comeback victory over candidate Heo Seung-pyo in the first 52nd election for the Korea Football Association. He was easily elected without competition in the 53rd and 54th elections. However, in the current election, candidates Heo Jung-moo and Shin Moon-sun emerged, leading to a fierce election campaign.

The election originally scheduled for January 8 was delayed due to protests from some candidates regarding the composition of the electoral college and the election commission. As a result, the election, which had been postponed multiple times, finally took place on the 26th. There were observations that the delays cast a shadow over Chairman Jeong Mong-kyu’s bid for a fourth term.

Despite the negative public sentiment, Chairman Jeong Mong-kyu actively visited football people to garner support. By meeting with referees, players, and club officials across the board, he increased his backing. The outcome of this diligent campaign is interpreted as leading to a historic victory for Chairman Jeong Mong-kyu.

Candidate Jeong Mong-kyu, who challenged for a fourth term, noted during the presentation held just before the election, “I felt regret due to the administrative void in football as the election originally scheduled for January 8 was postponed for nearly two months to today,” but added, “It was a rewarding and thankful time to be able to meet more people in football on-site.”

He continued, “There were those who supported me and those who advised me on areas that need to be changed,” and said, “I also reflected on the lack of communication until now. If I am elected, I will continue to communicate humbly.” He also expressed, “With a greater sense of responsibility than anyone, I will run diligently for the future of Korean football,” promising to create a trusted association to restore the pride of fans and citizens.

Voting, which ended at 4 p.m., resulted in the announcement of the outcome after about 20 minutes of counting. Among the 192-member electoral college, 183 voted (with one invalid ballot), and Chairman Jeong Mong-kyu won with 156 votes. Second-place candidate Heo Jung-moo received 15 votes, and third-place candidate Shin Moon-sun received 11 votes. The sentiment within the football community still favored the Jeong Mong-kyu administration.

Candidate Shin Moon-sun, who received 11 votes, remained until the end. After receiving the certificate of election for Chairman Jeong Mong-kyu, he personally went up to the podium to shake hands, graciously accepting the election results. He briefly conversed with Chairman Jeong as they shook hands before descending from the podium and leaving the soccer center.

Chairman Jeong Mong-kyu also bowed his head in gratitude for candidate Shin Moon-sun’s congratulatory message. He stated, “Thank you. This winter has been particularly cold. Just as spring is coming, I hope spring has arrived in football as well. Many people participated,” adding, “I feel a greater sense of responsibility and will do my best. I will also keep the promises I made.” He expressed gratitude to candidates Shin Moon-sun and Heo Jung-moo for racing alongside him, assuring that he would listen to their advice and work hard.

[Photo] Soccer Center=Reporter Kim Seong-rak ksl0919@osen.co.kr provided by KFA.

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