The K-Football Innovation Committee, established to fundamentally reform South Korean soccer, is actively seeking realistic improvement measures by listening to voices from the field.
On August 19, the committee held its seventh meeting, an 'open listening session,' at the Korea Football Park Stadium in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province. All nine members of the committee, including co-chairs Park Ji-sung and Yoo Seung-min, as well as Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young, attended the event. Over 80 participants, including coaches, players, and parents from elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as officials from local associations, gathered to discuss ways to advance youth soccer.
The three-hour session, conducted without formal presentations, revealed various structural issues facing youth soccer. Key concerns included training and competition environments hindered by regulations from the Ministry of Education and a lack of infrastructure.
Field coaches expressed worries about restrictions on weekday competitions during the school year, which force tournaments to be concentrated during extreme heat or cold. They also highlighted the insufficient number of games for younger players and difficulties in utilizing school sports facilities due to prohibitions on commercial use, making it hard to secure playing fields.
After hearing these concerns, Minister Choi stated, "It pains me to hear that children cannot play due to a lack of fields, and I feel a sense of responsibility. Forcing children to compete in the most challenging conditions, such as extreme heat or cold, is counterproductive to their education." He pledged to invest boldly and address outdated or unrealistic regulations.
Regarding training conditions for student-athletes, Yoo noted, "It is important for high school athletes to have career choices. We need to help them engage in sports more freely." Co-chair Park also urged the Korea Football Association to allocate more budget to youth soccer, emphasizing that more funding is necessary for the growth of young players.
After the session, Park remarked, "The statement that there are no fields available for practice resonated the most. The key is whether we can move forward with a clear purpose and plan. We will carefully discuss the feedback received to provide valuable recommendations for Korean soccer."
Since its launch last month, the Innovation Committee has led governance reforms, including expanding the electoral base for the Korea Football Association president to 20,000 and introducing electronic voting. Following this face-to-face listening session, the committee will transition to virtual meetings. Park indicated that meetings would continue weekly or every two to three weeks, depending on circumstances.
Additionally, the committee plans to examine key issues in the soccer community, including the vacant coaching system for the national team. Park emphasized, "We can discuss what systems are necessary to select a coach as fairly as possible, but the committee cannot decide on the appointment itself. Our role is to provide recommendations."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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