Chung Mong-gyu resigns as nat'l football chief

Chung Mong-gyu, elected to his fourth term as president of the Korea Football Association (KFA), gives his victory speech after winning the election at the KFA House in Seoul, Feb. 26. Yonhap

Chung Mong-gyu resigned as head of the national football federation on Monday.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) said Chung submitted his formal resignation letter earlier in the day after presiding over his final meeting with senior executives at Korea Football Park in Cheonan, some 90 kilometers south of Seoul.

Chung had been at the helm since January 2013.

On May 29, Chung announced he would step down as KFA president following the end of the ongoing FIFA World Cup. Although the tournament will end on July 20 in Korean time, Chung chose to leave his post two weeks ahead in the aftermath of the national team's earlier-than-expected elimination from the group stage.

Korea, coached by Hong Myung-bo, finished third in Group A with three points from a win and two losses and could not squeeze into the last 16 as one of the eight best third-place teams. Hong resigned immediately after his team's fate was sealed.

Chung had been under fire for what many critics claimed was an opaque process in hiring Hong in July 2024. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism conducted a wide-ranging probe into the KFA's operations that year and concluded that Chung and other senior KFA officials must be disciplined over a series of irregularities.

The KFA has been locked in a legal battle with the ministry, which plans to launch yet another audit into the football body in light of the World Cup exit.

Per KFA regulations, one of the organization's four vice presidents will take over as interim president before the election.

In a statement released by the KFA, Chung thanked football fans for their support and apologized for the moments when he disappointed them.

"While shouldering a major responsibility as head of the KFA, I have pursued nothing but development and glory for Korean football," Chung said. "There were moments when I lived up to expectations and moments when I only left you deeply disappointed. All the success is thanks to our players and fans, and all the mistakes are my responsibilities."

Chung said he will remain a passionate fan of football and added, "I am convinced that Korean football will overcome so much adversity and reach great heights once again, as it has always done."