Age Restriction Controversy: Korea Soccer Affiliation’s Presidential Candidate Restrict Underneath Hearth

Presidential candidates should be underneath 70 years of age
Korea Soccer Affiliation adjustments articles of affiliation for 2020
It’s tough for skilled soccer gamers and businessmen to run for workplace.
Rationalization: “I adopted FIFA guidelines”… FIFA has no age restrict
AFC additionally has no age restrict for presidential candidates.
President of different home sports activities equivalent to baseball, basketball, and so on. aged 70 or older
“Chairman Chung raises affordable doubts in regards to the privatization of the society.”

As Chung Mong-gyu, president of the Korea Soccer Affiliation, begins preliminary work to cease his bid for a fourth consecutive time period, together with a solo run as an government member of the Asian Soccer Confederation (AFC) regardless of robust strain from the soccer world to resign, the affiliation’s articles of incorporation which set an age restrict on eligibility to run for president have come underneath fireplace. Not solely does it not match the truth of Korea, which is about to enter an growing old society, however additionally it is famous that limiting candidates by age alone, no matter capacity or expertise, may result in age discrimination. It is usually believed to be a tool to dam prematurely the candidacy of an individual who may change into an impediment to the re-appointment of Chairman Chung.

In accordance with Article 23-2 (Registration of Candidates for the Presidential Election) of the Affiliation’s Articles of Incorporation on the twenty second, ‘Candidates for the Presidential Election should be individuals underneath 70 years of age on the day of the election.’ This was simply established in September 2020. Chairman Chung, who took workplace in 2013 and managed to win a 3rd consecutive time period in January 2021, was born in 1962 and is 62 years outdated this 12 months, so he’s not topic to this restriction. Because the time period of workplace is 4 years, the president can run for 2 extra presidential elections sooner or later.

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Snapshot of the Articles of Incorporation of the Korea Soccer Affiliation

Candidates who can not even dream of changing into president resulting from age restrictions

The issue is that the affiliation’s rules forestall skilled soccer gamers or businessmen with a ardour for soccer from operating for president. An official within the soccer trade who was nicely conscious of the scenario on the time of the revision of the Articles of Incorporation mentioned, “Chairman Chung appeared far forward and eradicated his rivals not just for his third consecutive season, but in addition past that.” He added, “Within the case of adjustments to the articles of incorporation, even when a gathering is held, it’s vaguely defined and moved on, so in all probability only some persons are current at it’s the assembly that is aware of the content material correctly.”

In truth, if we cut back the vary of presidential candidates to ‘underneath 70’, we will see not solely Kwon Oh-gap (born in 1951), President of the Korean Skilled Soccer League, who was as soon as a hip web site – hopefully, and Heo Seung-pyo (born in 1946), Chairman of Individuals Works, a former soccer participant who has a historical past of operating for president of the affiliation Former coach Cha Bum-geun (born in 1953), legend can not soccer even operating for workplace resulting from age restrictions. It is usually not possible for former Chairman Chung Mong-joon (born in 1951) or former Chairman Cho Joong-yeon (born in 1946) to return.

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A screenshot of the FIFA rulebook

Did you comply with FIFA non-FIFA guidelines?

An official who attended the board assembly when the Articles of Incorporation had been modified in 2020 defined that the change within the Articles of Incorporation was in accordance with FIFA rules, however this isn’t appropriate both. When FIFA launched a reform plan in 2012, which was criticized as a hotbed of corruption, it tried to restrict the president’s time period of workplace to a most of eight years for 2 four-year intervals and set the age of candidates at 72 or youthful, however “age restrictions could be discriminatory.” Within the face of opposition, the dialogue was withdrawn. Even within the Articles of Incorporation posted on FIFA’s official web site, there aren’t any provisions limiting the age of presidential candidates.

One other official who attended the board assembly on the time mentioned, “It was a very long time in the past so I do not keep in mind a lot,” however added, “The AFC and the Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) set the age of government members at 70, so I consider this has been utilized mutatis mutandis.” Nonetheless, neither the IOC nor the AFC place an age restrict on presidential candidates.

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Korea Soccer Affiliation in Jongno-gu, Seoul on February fifteenth, when the first Nationwide Crew Power Enchancment Committee 2024 was held to judge the efficiency of the Asian Soccer Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup 2023. Reporter Search engine marketing Jae-hoon

The presidents of different main sports activities associations are ‘over 70’

The age restrict for presidential candidates can be a bylaw that can’t be present in different home sporting occasions. Heo Heo-yeon, president of the Korea Baseball Group, was born in 1951 and was 71 years outdated when he was elected in 2022. Kwon Hyuk-un, president of the Korea Basketball Affiliation, was born in 1950, so he was 71 years outdated when he received was elected in 2021, and President Oh Han-nam (born in 1952) of the Korea Volleyball Affiliation was already 70 years outdated. outdated on the time of the non permanent begin.

There may be a lot criticism within the soccer world that the outdated Articles of Incorporation needs to be reviewed. One official from the soccer trade mentioned, “There are lots of individuals of their 70s and past who’re succesful sufficient, however it isn’t proper to ban them unconditionally due to their superior age.” One other soccer official additionally identified, “I do not know why an age restrict that does not apply to different sports activities, not to mention FIFA, needs to be utilized to soccer solely,” including, “The half this raises affordable suspicions that Chairman Chung is privatizing the society.”

In the meantime, Chairman Chung is laying the groundwork for a fourth consecutive time period, together with being appointed as a member of the chief committee on the AFC common assembly held in Bangkok, Thailand on the sixteenth. If an government place is allegedly required for the actions of a global group, extra reappointment, which was initially restricted to at least one, is feasible in line with the Korea Sports activities Council’s exemption clause.

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On March 21, when the 2026 FIFA North and Central America Asia World Cup second qualifying match between the Republic of Korea and Thailand was held on the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo-gu, Seoul, spectators maintain a picket saying ‘Chung Mong-gyu OUT’. Reporter Choi Joo-yeon

Jinju Kim reporter pearlkim72@hankookilbo.com

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