Sports minister disapproves of another consecutive term for KFA chairman

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yu In-chon showed his disapproval of Korea Football Association (KFA) Chairman Chung Mong-gyu pushing for a fourth consecutive term.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yu In-chon speaks at the Government Complex Seoul in central Seoul on Wednesday. [NEWS1]

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yu In-chon showed his disapproval of Korea Football Association (KFA) Chairman Chung Mong-gyu pushing for a fourth consecutive term.

“Instead of being forced to retire dishonorably, my opinion is that it would be better for his reputation if Chung stepped down voluntarily,” Yu said in an SBS radio segment on Thursday.

Yu’s request for Chung to resign was also made last week in a different radio segment.

Earlier this week, Chung was grilled by the National Assembly’s sports committee regarding the controversial appointment of Korean national team manager Hong Myung-bo.

Chung insisted that the decision was not based on favoritism and did not state his wish to step down on this day.

“It probably wasn’t easy to immediately make a decision in that situation,” Yu said. “I’m sure he’s thinking it through since he said that he would make a good decision.”

Like he mentioned last week, Yu emphasized again that Chung was only supposed to serve two terms “on principle,” and that his third term was an exception made by the Sports Fairness Committee of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee.

Yu said that he asked the committee to rectify the rules regarding terms and that if rejected, he would place another correction order. As a last resort, he said he would officially disapprove of Chung’s fourth term.

The Sports Minister also said again that Hong should go through the appointment process a second time if the ongoing audit reveals he was elected “through unfair means.”

“It’s the only way that fans will accept Hong, and Hong will gain a clear conscience.”

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]