The next election for the president of the Korea Football Association (KFA) is expected to take place this year with a significantly expanded electorate.
Park Ji-sung, co-chair of the K-Football Innovation Committee, stated during a briefing following the sixth meeting of the committee at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Jongno, Seoul, on August 11, that "the KFA will promptly revise its bylaws based on recommendations to ensure the election is conducted transparently and democratically."
Previously, the committee announced a recommendation to expand the electorate for the upcoming KFA presidential election from about 200 to approximately 20,000. The government and the Korean Sports Council also plan to actively support the necessary administrative and financial aspects of the election.
With the significant increase in the number of voters, changes to the voting method are also anticipated. Park noted, "Given the nearly 20,000 voters, it will be difficult to proceed with the existing voting method. We plan to introduce efficient systems such as electronic or online voting and will explore various options through discussions with the working group to determine the most suitable method."
Regarding the timing of the election, Park emphasized that it should occur within the year. He stated, "There are clearly procedures and time required for election preparation. However, the KFA is showing a proactive attitude toward holding the election as soon as possible. All committee members agree that it should not be postponed beyond this year. I believe the election will take place within the year."
On the current vacancy of the head coach for the South Korean national football team, Park mentioned, "We cannot directly intervene in the ongoing appointment of an interim coach, but we will provide effective recommendations on what kind of system should be established for the subsequent appointment body."
In light of the recent bribery scandal involving referees in South Korean football, Park highlighted the importance of reform and restoring trust. According to a 2016 audit report from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and comprehensive materials provided by Democratic Party lawmaker Jin Sun-mi's office on August 7, the KFA provided sexual favors to over ten foreign referees and officials during seven national team friendly matches and Olympic team matches held in South Korea from March 2011 to March 2012.
Park remarked, "This is not an issue for the innovation committee to address, so I cannot speak in detail. However, it is clear that we are facing a very unfortunate situation. It is difficult to predict what the outcomes will be in the future."
He added, "What is clear is that we must deeply consider how to restore the trust that has been broken and how to move forward after facing such a situation."
The innovation committee will hold its seventh meeting on August 19 at 2 p.m. at the KFA Stadium auditorium in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province. This meeting will be conducted in an 'open listening session' format, allowing football players and fans to participate directly, focusing on gathering various opinions on youth player development strategies.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.