The government and the conflict... "There will be an opportunity to explain."

The election for the 55th president of the Korea Football Association was held on the 26th at the second floor of the Football Hall in Sinmunro, Jongno-gu, Seoul. On this day, candidate Chung Mong-kyu received an overwhelming 156 votes from the 183 voters out of the 192-member electoral body, confirming his election.

Candidate Chung Mong-kyu was elected without a runoff, having received majority support from the electoral body, significantly surpassing Heo Jung-moo (15 votes) and Shin Moon-sun (11 votes). Candidate Chung began work immediately upon election, with a term that lasts until the regular general meeting of the Korea Football Association scheduled for early 2029. Chairman Chung, who is also the chairman of HDC and owner of Busan IPark, served as the president of the Korea Professional Football League in 2011 and ran in the 2013 election for the 52nd president of the association, overcoming competition from Heo Seung-pyo, Kim Seok-han, and Yoon Sang-hyun to be elected as the "football president."

In the elections for the 53rd and 54th association presidents, he maintained his presidency by running unopposed.

In the election for the association president, which was held as a competition for the first time in 12 years, Chairman Chung Mong-kyu received overwhelming support.

Chung Mong-kyu sparked controversy starting from the surprise pardon of 100 football people in March 2023.

Additionally, he faced allegations related to unfairness and overreach in the appointment of former coach Jürgen Klinsmann and national team coach Hong Myung-bo last year.

He faced sharp criticism and was also criticized by members of the National Assembly. Compounding this, he underwent a specific audit by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and faced demands for severe punishment due to the mismanagement of the Korea Football Association.

However, Chairman Chung Mong-kyu passed the reelection review by the Sports Fairness Committee of the Korean Sports Council and began a full-fledged election campaign.

It was anticipated that he would compete with candidates Shin Moon-sun and Heo Jung-moo. However, the results were completely different.

According to the Korea Football Association, Chairman Chung Mong-kyu's term starts immediately. The end point is until the regular general meeting specified by the articles of association in early 2029. After the election, he reflected on his first election in 2013, saying, "At that time, 24 delegates voted, but it is the first time that nearly 200 voters participated in the election like this," adding, "I met players, coaches, referees, and enthusiasts, and it was a great opportunity to hear what football people wanted more closely."

He also noted, "I will go out and listen more diligently to football people."

Chairman Chung Mong-kyu said, "After meeting various football people, I found that the most important issue is communication," and reflected, "I have met with players, but it hasn’t been in-depth." He stated, "The Korea Football Association is a service organization, and I believe that simply listening well can resolve half of the issues," and added, "Not only will I listen well, but I will ensure that urgent matters can be resolved first."

Chairman Chung Mong-kyu, who recorded an overwhelming 85.2% voting rate, said, "My goal was 50% plus one vote," and added, "I felt a tension and expectation over a participation rate that surprised even me. There is nothing more than working harder to meet the needs of all football people." In response to the question of when it was more thrilling, the first election or this election, he said, "The first election was exhilarating because it was a comeback victory, but this election is more meaningful as it is a festival that all football people participated in." Despite the election results, there are still challenges for the newly elected chairman. A typical example is the request for sanctions from the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. Chairman Chung remarked, "There will be an opportunity to explain how to manage the relationship with the government and others," but remained reserved on that front. Meanwhile, he commented, "Ultimately, I believe it is a matter of communication" and added, "If I can adequately explain the decision-making process of the association to fans, I think misunderstandings can be resolved one by one." During his previous term, he achieved attracting the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup and promoting the establishment of the Korea Football Comprehensive Center, and he promised to work towards hosting the 2031 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup and the 2035 Women's World Cup.

[OSEN = Reporter Woo Chung-won]