KFA Chair Chung Mong-gyu flies to Bangkok for uncontested AFC election

Korea Football Association (KFA) Chairman Chung Mong-gyu departed for Bangkok on Tuesday where he is expected to join the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) executive board in an uncontested election.

Korea Football Association Chairman Chung Mong-gyu, center, watches the Korean national team's training at Al Egla Training Facility in Doha, Qata on Feb. 4. [NEWS1]

Korea Football Association (KFA) Chairman Chung Mong-gyu departed for Bangkok Tuesday where he is expected to join the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) executive board in an uncontested election.

Chung departed for Bangkok on Tuesday, according to Yonhap News Agency, where the AFC election was due to take place later on the same day as of press time. Chung, a former AFC vice president, will then attend an executive committee meeting on Wednesday as a co-opted member, before the results of the election are officially announced on Thursday.

Chung, a hugely controversial figure in Korean football, is listed as the sole candidate for “AFC Executive Committee Member (East Zone),” alongside Mijgona Mahmadalieva of Tajikistan for “AFC Female Executive Committee Member (Central Zone).”

The AFC announced the final candidate list in February, just an hour after the KFA National Team Committee recommended then-Korea manager Jurgen Klinsmann be fired amid growing calls for Chung to be removed as head of the association.

Klinsmann was eventually fired — although is yet to be replaced — while Chung survived calls to be fired and remains at the top of the KFA.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]