Ex-World Cup star Park Ji-sung to co-lead new committee on reforming football

Park Ji-sung, former star player of the Korean men's national football team, attends 2026 FIFA World Cup press briefing in Seoul, May 21. Yonhap

Former FIFA World Cup hero Park Ji-sung will serve as the co-head of a new government-formed committee on reforming Korean football, officials said Friday.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced the launch of the "K-Football Innovation Committee," with Park and Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young jointly at the helm.

According to the ministry, the committee also appointed seven members, including Ryu Seung-min, president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee; Kim Seung-hee, executive director of the Korea Football Association (KFA); and two former national team players Lee Young-pyo and Park Joo-ho.

The committee will hold "comprehensive discussions" on measures that can help bolster Korean football's global competitiveness and cover areas such as football governance, youth development and adoption of the latest technologies, the ministry said.

The committee has been put together in the aftermath of Korea's elimination from the ongoing FIFA World Cup after the initial group stage. Earlier this week, Chae announced plans for the ministry to conduct an audit into operations at the KFA and publish a white paper based on its findings.

The KFA has been criticized for its opaque process in hiring national team head coach Hong Myung-bo two years ago, giving him a second chance after he had failed to take Korea out of the group stage at the 2014 World Cup. Hong resigned from the post after the team's elimination.

"With this committee, we will try to establish a new direction for Korean football and build a future for sustainable growth," Park said in a statement released by the ministry.

The ministry said Chae recently met with football experts and industry officials to gather their opinions on how to improve Korean football.

"I will provide all the support necessary to ensure that a vision for Korean football will be established by trusted experts and will be implemented on the field," Chae said.