Park Jae-hyuk is a seasoned journalist who has provided comprehensive coverage of South Korea's corporate dynamics, economic policies, industry challenges and the global positioning of Korean companies. Based on the articles he has written since joining The Korea Times in 2016, his investigative approach has helped readers understand corporate governance, economic trends and business strategies shaping South Korea’s economy.
Will HDC chairman end Hyundai family's control of national football association?
Korea Football Association President and HDC Chairman Chung Mong-gyu, right, talks with Korea's national football team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann at Seoul World Cup Stadium, after Korea defeated Tunisia 4-0 in a friendly match in this October 2023 file photo. Newsis
By Park Jae-hyuk
Debate over the Hyundai Group founder's family members controlling the Korea Football Association (KFA) for almost three decades intensified after the national team performed poorly in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. Many attribute this poor performance to KFA President and HDC Chairman Chung Mong-gyu, who appointed former German striker Jurgen Klinsmann as the team's head coach.
Amid expectations that the late Hyundai founder’s nephew will seek his fourth term in January next year, some football fans are urging him to resign, while others say there are not many alternatives to Chung.
On Tuesday, a civic group filed a complaint with the police against the KFA president for allegedly interfering with business, claiming that he appointed Klinsmann as the national team’s head coach without listening to the opinions of the association’s members.
"Chung will commit an occupational breach of trust, if he allows the KFA to keep paying the German coach’s wage over the next two and a half years," the civic group said.
Four football fans also held a rally the same day in front of the KFA headquarters in Seoul to urge Chung and the association’s other executives to resign. The fans asked the executives to clarify whether the association appointed Klinsmann without a transparent process upon Chung’s endorsement.
Football fans hold a rally in front of the Korea Football Association headquarters in Seoul, Tuesday, to urge the association to dismiss Korea's national football team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann. Yonhap
Comedian Lee Kyung-kyu, who is known as a football enthusiast, also said on a YouTube channel that the HDC chairman should resign as the KFA president after Korea lost to Jordan 2-0 in the semifinals of the Asian Cup in Qatar on Feb. 6 (local time).
Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, who previously served as the owner of Gyeongnam FC when he was governor of South Gyeongsang Province, wrote on Facebook, Sunday, that the KFA president should take responsibility for the penalties incurred by canceling the employment contract with Klinsmann and tell him that he has been dismissed.
Chung has remained silent about criticism against him and Klinsmann. He was absent from Tuesday’s meeting of KFA executives, which was held to review the national team’s performance and discuss future plans.
Some football fans acknowledge the significant investments the late Hyundai founder’s family made in Korean football. They argue that the position of the KFA president should be given to the family even if the HDC chairman steps down.
"Hyundai Motor Group, HD Hyundai and HDC manage their own professional football clubs, and in terms of investments in the football industry, it is difficult for fans to criticize the Hyundai family," a football fan wrote on an online forum.
However, it is unclear whether there is an alternative to Chung, given that he was the only candidate when he sought his third term in 2021.
Although HD Hyundai Chairman Kwon Oh-gap, a professional manager who also heads the Korea Professional Football League, was once mentioned as Chung’s successor, the 72-year-old cannot run for the KFA president as a candidate for the post should be aged under 70.
The HDC chairman has led the KFA since 2013 as the successor of former football player and coach Cho Chung-yun, who led the association between 2009 and 2013. Cho’s predecessor is HD Hyundai’s largest shareholder, Chung Mong-joon, the late Hyundai founder’s sixth-oldest son, who led the KFA from 1993 to 2009.