The Korea Football Association (KFA) vice-presidents and all board members resigned en masse, feeling responsible for the ‘surprising pardon for 100 disciplinary footballers’. KFA Chairman Chung Mong-gyu, who has a more serious responsibility, still uses an apology as a shield.
KFA said on the 4th, “The vice-chairman and all the board members expressed their intention to resign en masse this afternoon,” and “they will submit a formal resignation soon.” If an executive appointed according to the association’s articles of association submits a resignation letter, it is regarded as resigning regardless of acceptance.
Park Gyeong-hoon, executive director of KFA, said, “As the executive director in charge of the association’s practical administration, I felt deeply responsible for the current situation (surprise pardon) and deeply regretted it.” Since the board of directors, many directors have expressed their intention to resign. For this disciplinary amnesty, both the vice-president and the board felt a great responsibility, and today (4th) all agreed to resign.”
Previously, on the night before (3rd), KFA’s “former players” Lee Young-pyo and Lee Dong-guk and Social Contribution Committee Chairman Cho Won-hee first announced their intention to resign from executive positions through their respective statements. The rest of the vice-presidents and the board of directors also agreed.
As Executive Director Park Kyung-hoon said, the reason why they came down one after another is to take responsibility for the KFA’s recent announcement and withdrawal of a ‘surprise pardon’ for 100 former and incumbent players, coaches, and referees who were disciplined for various misconduct. .
Previously, when the public opinion against the recent pardon for soccer players was maximized, the KFA held a temporary board meeting on the 31st of last month to reexamine the agenda and withdraw the pardon. Those eligible for pardon included 48 players who were expelled in 2011 for match fixing in professional football.
The KFA made the amnesty announcement on the 28th of last month, about an hour before the kickoff between Korea and Uruguay, following the reason for the amnesty as the reason for the amnesty, following ‘self-congratulation for advancing to the World Cup 10 times in a row and advancing to the round of 16 in Qatar World Cup, and great integration of the soccer world’.
In the end, within three days, KFA announced its reversal by reading Chairman Chung Mong-kyu’s apology. However, the criticism towards the KFA reached its climax in the move to end the ‘amnesty situation’ through a one-sided notification method without receiving any questions. Chairman Chung Mong-gyu made the work even bigger.
In particular, fans felt a sense of betrayal and discouragement from KFA personnel who were former soccer players. It’s because he was silent when he was supposed to. Conscious of this, former national team members Lee Young-pyo, Lee Dong-guk, and Jo Won-hee simultaneously laid down their titles.
‘2002 Korea-Japan World Cup Semifinalist’ Lee Young-pyo bowed his head, saying, “I apologize for not fulfilling my responsibility where I should be.”
Lee Dong-guk said, “As a Gyeonggi-doer, I feel a sense of responsibility for not preventing (the amnesty).” Cho Won-hee also said, “I wanted to make a positive change through soccer, but I desperately felt a lack of competence and wanted to step down.”
They obviously have some share in failing to prevent the ‘amnesty’. Even KFA, which has a clear vertical structure, had to actively voice opposition to this amnesty as a former soccer player. If the amnesty decision had already been made internally, and if it was a bandwagon without even heart in a confused situation, a legitimate voice should have been raised even immediately after the amnesty decision was announced. In the end, he resigned, but the feeling that the decision was pushed back by negative public opinion cannot be erased.
Even the pardon included a match-fixer who had driven professional football into the abyss in the past, so the silence of those who even played the national team cannot erase their responsibility with this resignation.
The resignation of the ‘young executives’ became a signal flare. High-ranking executives who directly commanded practical work are also leaving KFA one after another in disgrace.
Although it was late, those who knew at least a little bit of shame resigned their positions at KFA. However, Chairman Chung Mong-gyu, who must take infinite responsibility, still uses the apology as a shield.
When a ‘major accident’ occurs in a professional sports federation or organization, the head often expresses his resignation.
In February 2022, Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) President Jeong Ji-taek failed to prevent the baseball world from becoming difficult to operate in the aftermath of a new coronavirus infection, and the poor performance (fourth place) at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics caused disappointment and resentment from fans. He resigned from his position after a year and a month.
It is widely believed that President Jeong Ji-taek, who was the former vice chairman of Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction, resigned voluntarily after being accused of causing the unprecedented ‘league suspension’ amid controversy over fairness.
However, Chairman Chung Mong-kyu, who has committed more than ‘shaking the foundation of sports’, is trying to cover up his mistakes with a single apology.
After taking office in 2013,안전놀이터 Chairman Chung Mong-gyu, who succeeded in re-election in 2016 and 3rd term in 2021, could not have known that this ‘amnesty’ would boil the anger of football fans. Nevertheless, he rather decided to amnesty at the forefront.
Chairman Chung Mong-gyu, who committed an obvious mistake as the head of the Korean soccer world, should at least not hide behind an apology. He should not come to the point where shame and shabbiness are luxuries.