Petition to disband Korea Football Association tops 50,000 signatures

Hong Myung-bo, South Korea's national football team coach, answers questions from reporters during his inaugural press conference at the Football Hall in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

By KTimes

• Published Jul 30, 2024 8:41 AM KST
• Updated Jul 31, 2024 7:02 AM KST

A national petition calling for the disbandment of the Korea Football Association (KFA) due to controversies surrounding the appointment of Hong Myung-bo as the national team head coach has garnered 50,000 signatures.

With this support, the petition is set to be addressed at the National Assembly. Alongside an audit by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, political pressure on the KFA is expected to intensify.

A man, only identified as Jeon, posted a petition on July 17 on the National Assembly's petition board requesting an audit and the disbandment of the KFA.

As of the morning of July 29, the petition had received over 50,000 signatures. According to the National Assembly's petition system, issues that receive more than 50,000 signatures within 30 days are referred to the relevant standing committee. The petition regarding the KFA will be handled by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee.

In the petition, Jeon criticized the KFA for ignoring fair administrative procedures in managing the national team, accusing the association's president and executives of essentially privatizing the organization for their own benefit.

Jeon claimed that from the start, Hong’s appointment as coach was pre-determined, despite attempts to appear as though they were considering foreign coaches.

In the meantime, at his inaugural press conference, Hong said, "I stand here with an immense sense of responsibility and endless remorse for breaking promises to K-League fans. I will humbly accept any criticism or blame."

Emphasizing his commitment, Hong said, "The only way to be forgiven is to lead the national football team's growth and development from my position. I am confident that we will achieve better results, such as reaching the round of 16 or higher at the 2026 North and Central American World Cup, and meet the high expectations."

Calls for KFA president's resignation

A separate petition calling for the resignation of KFA President Chung Mong-gyu also began on the same day, garnering around 12,000 signatures.

This petition cited reasons such as hasty administration, lack of transparency and deception regarding the appointment of the national team coach.

Political pressure on Chung's position is also mounting. On July 9, Rep. Yang Moon-seok, a member of the Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee from the opposition Democratic Party of Korea, demanded Chung’s resignation, criticizing his handling of the selection of a national team head coach.

In April, Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo also voiced similar concerns. Chung has yet to respond to these demands.

Second Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Jang Mi-ran confirmed the audit concerning the controversy surrounding Hong’s appointment.

Jang visited the National Assembly on July 18 to discuss the issue with Rep. Choo Kyung-ho, the floor leader of the ruling People Power Party.

Jang told reporters that the ministry would conduct the audit to address public concerns about the KFA’s operations.

Amid the turmoil surrounding the KFA, Hong Myung-bo held an inaugural press conference Monday at the Football Hall in Seoul.

During the conference, he discussed his appointment and outlined his plans for the national team.

Officially appointed on July 13 through the KFA board’s approval, Hong recently returned from a ten-day trip to Europe to recruit foreign coaches.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by staff of The Korea Times.