Former Coach Heo Jeong-moo Announces Candidacy for Korea Football Association President Election

"Specific Plan to Be Announced Within This Week"
First Person to Declare Intention to Run for Next President

Former national team coach Huh Jung-moo, who led South Korea to the round of 16 in the 2010 South Africa World Cup, announced his candidacy for the Korea Football Association (KFA) presidency election.

According to Yonhap News on the 18th, former coach Huh said, "I have been deeply contemplating for a week, and decided, 'Alright, let's try one last time,'" adding, "I will officially announce a detailed plan within this week." He added, "I thought about representing the voices of football people and creating a foundation for their unity."

Heo Jeong-moo, former head coach of the national football team.

Former coach Huh led the national team to achieve the first-ever 'round of 16 advancement in an away tournament' at the 2010 South Africa World Cup. Having played in Europe in the early 1980s with the Dutch club PSV Eindhoven, Huh transitioned to coaching in the 1990s, managing K League teams such as Jeonnam Dragons and Incheon United. In the 2010s, he became an administrator, serving as vice president of the Korea Football Association from 2013 to 2014, and as vice chairman of the Korea Professional Football League from 2015 to 2019. From 2020 until last year, he served as chairman of Daejeon Hana Citizen.

Chung Mong-gyu, President of the Korea Football Association, attended the full meeting of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee held at the National Assembly on September 24 and responded to lawmakers' questions. Photo by Yonhap News

Current KFA president Chung Mong-gyu is expected to run for a fourth term but has not yet announced his specific stance. However, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recently requested a severe disciplinary action, including suspension of Chung’s qualifications, against the KFA, and the KFA labor union is also demanding the removal of the current leadership, shaking his support base. Amid this, former coach Huh became the first figure to declare his intention to run for the next KFA presidency.

On the 8th, Park Ji-sung, chairman of the JS Foundation, expressed his intention, saying, "I realized why many citizens are angry through media coverage of the National Assembly audit and other news related to the KFA," and added, "If it helps the association, I am willing to participate based on my experience." At that time, he emphasized, "The president of the association must manage competent staff well and be honest," indirectly criticizing Chung Mong-gyu’s leadership.

The KFA presidential election will be held on January 8 next year. According to Article 23-2, Paragraph 2 of the KFA bylaws regarding 'registration of presidential candidates,' only those under 70 years old on the election day are eligible. Former coach Huh, born on January 13, 1955, will hold the election five days before his 70th birthday. Therefore, he does not violate the association’s age limit rule of under 70 years old for candidates.

The election management committee is expected to be formed by December 12. The candidate registration period will be three days starting December 25, and the new president’s term will begin at the regular general meeting on January 22, 2025, following the election on January 8. For Chung to run for a fourth term, he must notify the association of his candidacy by December 2. It is reported that Chung has not yet applied for reappointment to the Korea Sports Council’s Sports Fairness Committee.