Korea Football Association Labor Union Opposes Chairman Chung Mong-gyu’s Fourth Term

The Korea Football Association (KFA) labor union has issued a statement opposing the fourth reappointment of Chairman Chung Mong-gyu. The union expressed its disappointment and frustration with the chairman’s leadership, citing his administration’s continuous missteps and failure to address the concerns of soccer fans and the media.

The KFA union stated that Chairman Chung’s behavior, which ignores public opinion and pursues his fourth term without regard for the consequences, is not only ignorant but also incompetent. The union criticized the chairman’s handling of various issues, including the appointment of national team coaches, the construction of the Cheonan Football Center, and the leadership area.

The union also expressed its disappointment with the chairman’s autobiography, “The Age of Soccer,” which they believe is full of self-reflection, self-examination, and sincere gratitude, but ultimately reads as “The Age of Despair.” The union stated that the chairman’s actions have led to a decline in sponsor value and A-match revenue, and that he must take responsibility for these failures.

The KFA union has remained silent until now, avoiding any impression that they would interfere with the KFA president election in January next year. However, the union has reached a point where it can no longer endure the chairman’s actions and has decided to speak out.

The union hopes that Chairman Chung will declare that he will not run for a fourth term and spend the remaining term resolving the crisis in the KFA. The union believes that this would be the first step in resolving the crisis in Korean football.

Statement from the KFA Labor Union

Consecutive misses, a disaster for Korean soccer

The angry cries of soccer fans, “Chung Mong-gyu out!” have become a common sight at A-match stadiums. The appointment and dismissal of Klinsmann, the controversy over the 10 billion won penalty, and the process and procedure for selecting the national team coach have all led to a series of events that have angered soccer fans, leading to calls for Chairman Chung Mong-gyu’s resignation.

The KFA labor union has been reporting the tyranny of the Chung Mong-gyu administration whenever it has the chance, and has consistently proposed alternatives. However, the chairman’s administration has mostly remained silent, like reading sutras to a deaf ear.

‘The Age of Football’, ‘The Age of Despair’

A notice was posted on the internal bulletin board of the Korea Football Association titled, “Information on the 2024 One Heart Football Tournament with Provincial Football Associations and National Federations.” However, most employees who saw the post were responding with, “Are you in your right mind to hold a football match at this time and in this situation?”

The behavior of the Chung Mong-gyu executive team, which blindly pursues the chairman’s fourth term without paying attention to the angry public opinion of soccer fans and the media, is not just ignorance but incompetence itself.

Shame now belongs to Chairman Chung Mong-gyu!

Our union watched the continuous missteps of the Chung Mong-gyu administration, but we still watched with the mindset that ‘they will sort things out at a common sense level.’ However, our association, like the general soccer fans, has reached a point where it can no longer endure.

We hope that the Chung Mong-gyu administration will finish its term and end on a high note. It should only successfully hold the AFC Awards ceremony held in Korea in October and refrain from any further acts that pollute the eyes and ears of the people and soccer fans.

We sincerely hope that Chairman Chung Mong-gyu will quickly declare that he will not run for a fourth term and spend the remaining term resolving the crisis in the KFA. Chairman Chung’s declaration that he will not run will be the first step in resolving the crisis in Korean football.

All members of the 10th Korea Football Association Labor Union Steering Committee