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| President of the Korea Football Association Chung Mong-kyu was interviewed at the office of the I-Park Mall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on the 18th. Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.12.18/ |
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| President of the Korea Football Association Chung Mong-kyu was interviewed at the office of the I-Park Mall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on the 18th. Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.12.18/ |
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| President of the Korea Football Association Chung Mong-kyu was interviewed at the office of the I-Park Mall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on the 18th. Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.12.18/ |
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The fact has disappeared, and Korean soccer, exposed to criticism for criticism, is living in an era of serious 'pollution'. Just as aggravation builds positivity, there is no reason and unprovoked anger took its place. The year 2024, which disappeared into history, was full of chaos. In 2025, the new year has come. Still, he sings of hope.
Korean soccer will take the first step of its senior year through the 'presidential election' on the 8th. The election for the 55th president of the Korea Football Association (KFA) is just six days away. Chairman Chung Mong-gyu (63) challenged the fourth term, while Huh Jung-moo, former chairman of Hana Citizen in Daejeon, and Shin Moon-sun, a visiting professor of sports record analysis at Myongji University's Graduate School of Records and Information Science, entered the election campaign.
Chairman Chung became the head of the KFA through the 2013 election. In 2016, he won re-election with a unanimous vote, and in 2021, he ran alone and reached a third term without a vote. The first election season in 12 years has arrived. I recently met with Chairman Chung at HDC's office in Yongsan, Seoul. The two appearances at the National Assembly last year changed Chairman Chung. He prefers writing to words, but he has gained confidence in his speech. There was no wall in his conviction. I talked philosophy without filtering.
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| Jung Mong-gyu, president of the Korea Football Association, held a press conference to run for the 55th president of the Korea Football Association at the conference hall on the first floor of the Ponyjeong Foundation Building in Seoul on the afternoon of the 19th. Chairman Chung Mong-gyu is answering the question. Chairman Chung was approved by the Sports Fair Committee of the Sports Council on the 11th to seek a fourth consecutive term. After completing the candidate registration process, which will run from the 25th to the 27th, he will try for the fourth term in earnest. Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.12.18/ |
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In fact, trying for the fourth term was not an easy choice. "My wife was very worried about 'Why should I know from the article?'" she laughed, but the bigger concern was a realistic concern that it could be out of the government's eyes. Chairman Chung said, `What worried me the most was running a company, and contrary to government guidelines, running for president of the Korea Football Association would have a big impact on business and personal life", he confessed. But there was no compromise, no stopping.
The Korea Football Center, which is under construction in Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do, is finally coming to the world this year. Inside and outside the soccer community, there are also voices of concern that KFA could go bankrupt if Chairman Chung lets go. I couldn't turn a blind eye to the story. Just before he challenged, he consulted a lot with city and provincial association officials, elders, sponsors, etc. I asked for a lot of advice on which choice is better for Korean soccer. There were many concerns that the Cheonan Football Center or the division system was not settled, but that it could be disturbed. I was worried about that." And the Cheonan Football Center is under construction. Cheonan City directly invested 200 billion won. Our funds also went into about 70 billion won. It is a stage that can be completed by summer. I think it is important for our soccer development to complete and operate well. The president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) visited Cheonan. FIFA President was also briefed on the details. These models set an example not only in Asia but also around the world. I think we can export these ideas. The division system is not settled yet. I am talking to the Korea Professional Football Association. Looking to connect parts 2 to 3 in 2027. After that, there is also an important problem that the 4th and 5th parts must be connected. (If I do it again), I will definitely try to stabilize it during my term in office."
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| President of the Korea Football Association Chung Mong-kyu was interviewed at the office of the I-Park Mall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on the 18th. Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.12.18/ |
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| President of the Korea Football Association Chung Mong-kyu was interviewed at the office of the I-Park Mall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on the 18th. Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.12.18/ |
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Chairman Chung also made a bold pledge. The national team promised to enter the top 10 FIFA rankings by winning the quarterfinals of the 2026 North-China World Cup and the 2027 Asian Cup. As an AFC executive member, he pledged to host the 2031 Asian Cup while also declaring a re-challenge for members of FIFA's highest voting body, the Council. It proposed the establishment of a center for entry into Europe, hosting the FA Cup for women's soccer, strengthening the youth and youth soccer system, operating a comprehensive call center to support soccer sites, including legal advice, expanding training for amateur leaders, and realizing refereeing allowances.
It has been 30 years since Chung established a relationship with soccer in 1994 with the owner of Ulsan Hyundai Tiger Soccer Team. He took over the ruined Daewoo Royals and reborn it as Busan I-Park, and became the chairman of the KFA after serving as the president of the Korea Professional Football Federation. During his tenure, he achieved achievements such as the professional football promotion system, the launch of the Golden Age program, and the establishment of a foundation for the division system. He also made a big history, including the runner-up at the 2015 Asian Cup in Australia, the runner-up at the 2019 U-20 World Cup, the third consecutive Asian Games, and the round of 16 at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. But the mood is different these days. Chairman Chung's current situation is that he cannot deny the strong booing from fans.
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"I thought I was criticized and booed because there was something lacking, and I thought deeply about it. There was always a frustration in the back of my heart. I was able to bear to some extent to be punished or something. However, when this situation extended to the stadium and affected the players or coaches, I felt uncomfortable and sorry. I was also disappointed with this evaluation because I was also a person. However, there are also parts that I am grateful for because it was an opportunity to reflect and reflect on myself."
There is a lot to be said about the controversy in the process of appointing the national team coach, but he replaced it with a pledge to reorganize the power reinforcement committee. Chairman Chung said, `The power reinforcement committee or personnel management is to announce the results, not to relay the process. However, the continued disclosure of the intermediate process seems to have been one of the main reasons, leading to the audit of the National Assembly and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism"In the case of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Ethics, the audit office said that I was too involved in the process of appointing Hong Myung-bo, and the affiliated sports ethics center complained that I was only working. " He continued "It's because a number of processes are known outside, but there's nothing too wrong with the regulations or with the world going on.'
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He also expressed his deep concerns about school sports. He "There's one important thing I want to do in my next term. The fundamental difference from Japan is 'infrastructure'. In Japan, 8,800 teams and 290,000 students are enrolled in elementary schools. Korea has about 4,000 players from 200 teams. The current (Korean) education policy is to think of physical education as an extracurricular activity. Japan can play soccer for 50,000 won in elementary school. But we have to pay at least 300,000 won. I think everyone should do physical education in school. It is a pity that physical education is an extracurricular activity. He also expressed his commitment to change.
Chairman Chung did not set a date for Chairman Huh and Professor Shin, who entered the election. "I think coach Huh Jung-moo is a pretty good coach who led South Africa to its first World Cup away round of 16. There will be some understanding of administration to some extent by working with the soccer association. Professor Shin said, "I have never experienced Professor Shin Moon-sun in person, but I was impressed when I was a commentator."
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| President of the Korea Football Association Chung Mong-kyu was interviewed at the office of the I-Park Mall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on the 18th. Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.12.18/ |
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As for the first election in 12 years "The last two have been virtually elected. Since the election is held, I am alert as if there is a cold wind and I think I should work harder. In the end, elections are also about competing for ideas for those who have votes. Competition is quite important. Elections are the flower of democracy. Positive" replied.
After an hour-long interview, Chairman Chung cast his eyes out of the window. Where his eyes touched, there was a futsal field. Children were enjoying soccer, forgetting the cold weather. Chairman Chung said, `You can always see the soccer field here. It's very nice, " he said with a big smile.
Yongsan = Kim Sung-won, Kim Autumn Reporter
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
