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| ▲ In this file photo from May 13, 2020, Korea Football Association President Chung Mong-gyu speaks at the inauguration ceremony for the new K3 and K4 leagues in Seoul. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ In this file photo from Jan. 28, 2020, Korea Football Association President Chung Mong-gyu (L) congratulates Kim Hak-bum, head coach of the men's under-23 national team, at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, after the team won the Asian Football Confederation U-23 Championship in Thailand. (Yonhap) |
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S. Korean football chief Chung Mong-gyu to run unopposed in bid for 3rd term
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Dec. 24 (Yonhap) -- Chung Mong-gyu is on course for a third term as the head of the Korea Football Association (KFA), with no other candidate fielded in next month's election, the organization said Thursday.
Chung, its president since 2013, is the only candidate who has thrown a hat in the election scheduled for Jan. 6, 2021, according to the KFA. The deadline to register as candidates was 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Chung's sole candidacy will not be put to a vote and will instead be reviewed by an election committee, made up of five outside officials and two KFA officials.
Chung, chief executive of the construction firm Hyundai Development Co., served his first KFA term from January 2013 to June 2016. He ran unopposed in the next election in July 2016 and received unanimous support from the 98 voters on hand.
According to the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC), heads of its member federations may serve no more than two consecutive terms, but exceptions are granted if their contributions to their sport can be clearly established.
Chung received the green light from the KSOC on Nov. 28.
Chung has delivered on most of his pledges made before the second election, including building a multidivision system in the pro ranks and constructing a second national training center in addition to the current facility in Paju, north of Seoul.
During Chung's second term, South Korea captured the 2018 Asian Games gold medal and finished runners-up at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, the country's best performance at a FIFA men's tournament in any age group. In January this year, the country won the Asian Football Confederation U-23 Championship, which doubled as the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament.
In July 2018, Chung donated 4 billion won (US$3.6 million) to help pay salaries for national team coaches and develop youth football.
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