The KFA said it made the decision at its fourth board meeting of 2026, held Tuesday at the association’s headquarters in Seoul’s Jongno district, and will file an appeal of the first-instance administrative ruling tied to the ministry’s special audit.
On April 23, the Seoul Administrative Court’s Administrative Division 5, led by Presiding Judge Lee Jeong-won, ruled against the KFA in its lawsuit seeking to overturn the ministry’s notice of audit findings and its demand for corrective measures.
The court said the ministry’s findings were supported, including violations in the process of appointing a national team head coach, improper management of subsidies for the national football center construction project, and the handling of what the ministry described as unjustified pardons for soccer figures.
“While some of the pointed-out matters were improper, that alone did not make the (ministry’s) demand for measures unfair or unlawful,” the court said, adding that the level of disciplinary request fell “within the scope of discretionary authority.”
The court also said that under the Public Audit Act, the association is not obligated to comply unconditionally with the ministry’s demands, and that even if it does not comply, the ministry can only conduct another audit and has no direct means to impose discipline or force implementation.
The KFA board said it still needs an appellate court’s judgment on both fact-finding and legal interpretation. Chung did not take part in the discussion because he is an interested party.
Lee Yong-soo, a KFA vice president who led the meeting in Chung’s place, said, “Despite the decision to appeal, we take the court’s first ruling seriously and feel a deep sense of responsibility to meet the stern demands of soccer fans.”
He added that the appeal was not intended to use the World Cup as a shield or to delay matters, but was a difficult decision aimed at seeking further review within legal procedures.
The KFA said it will continue work to strengthen administrative transparency and pursue internal reforms, and will also do its best to support the World Cup with about a month remaining.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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