[Exclusive] Chung Mong-jun "I Intend to Run Again for FIFA President"... Seems to Be Starting a Comeback in the Football World

Jung Mong-joon, Chairman of Asan Foundation
Photo by Kim Hyun-min

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Chung Mong-joon, Chairman of the Asan Foundation (71), has recently expressed his intention to make a comeback as president of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), drawing attention to his future moves.

According to football insiders on the 1st, Chairman Chung said at a meeting with acquaintances, "I am considering a comeback bid for the FIFA presidency." He previously ran for FIFA president in August 2015 but was sidelined by a suspension from the FIFA Ethics Committee and withdrew his candidacy in October of the same year.

The timing of his comeback is expected to be either 2027 or 2031, with 2031 being more likely. This is because current FIFA President Gianni Infantino will be ineligible for re-election then. Gianni Infantino has already registered as the sole candidate for the next FIFA presidential election, scheduled for March 16 next year in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. Chairman Chung did not run. Unless there are unforeseen circumstances, Infantino is expected to secure re-election, continuing his presidency through 2027, following his terms starting in 2016 and 2019.

Infantino can also run in the 2027 election, potentially serving as president until 2031. According to FIFA internal regulations, the president can serve a maximum of 12 years in total, but Infantino began his first term before this rule was established, and the initial three years he served completing the term of his predecessor who was ousted do not count toward the term limit.

Within FIFA and the international arena, it is widely believed that there is no suitable candidate to succeed Infantino. Amid this, some Asian football officials and others speculate that Chairman Chung may have an opportunity.

Supporters of Chairman Chung believe that his age, which will be in his 80s by 2031, will not be an obstacle. Former presidents such as Jules Rimet, Jo?o Havelange, and Sepp Blatter effectively served even after turning 80 during their terms. When Chung ran in August 2015, he pledged to limit the presidential term, refusing re-election and committing to serve only one term, a promise he is likely to emphasize again in his comeback bid.

With plenty of time ahead, Chairman Chung is expected to quietly increase his engagement with the international football community. He has traveled to Qatar to watch the ongoing 2022 Qatar World Cup matches and is reportedly meeting football officials from around the world. On the 23rd, he was spotted attending the Group E league opener between Japan and Germany at Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan. Since his narrow loss by five votes to Prince Ali bin Hussein of Jordan in the January 2011 FIFA vice-presidential election, Chung has been largely distant from the football world.