KFA chief pledges $3.4 mil. won for football center construction

In pursuit of his fourth term as head of the Korea Football Association (KFA), Chung Mong-gyu on Tuesday offered to donate 5 billion won ($3.4 million) for the ongoing construction of a new football center.

The construction work for the new football headquarters in Cheonan, some 85 kilometers south of Seoul, began in April 2022. The KFA has reportedly experienced some trouble funding the project, with nearly a dozen natural grass and artificial grass training pitches, indoor playing and training facilities, a football museum and new office space for the KFA over 478,000 square meters of land.

"In order to ensure successful completion of the football center, I have decided to donate 5 billion won to the KFA," said Chung, who is also chairman of the real estate developer HDC Hyundai Development Co. "I wanted to reciprocate the support of football people and further highlight the importance of the football center for the public."

In announcing his candidacy on Dec. 19, Chung said he wanted to finish projects that began during his current term, including the football center construction.

Chung's announcement came a day before the election against former Korean men's national team head coach Huh Jung-moo and former TV commentator Shin Moon-sun was to take place. However, it has been postponed indefinitely after the Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday granted an injunction filed by Huh to halt the election over an apparent lack of fairness and transparency.

Huh has questioned the transparency of the KFA's election management committee and accused it of manipulating the composition of the electoral college. The Seoul court sided with Huh on Tuesday, citing "grave breaches of procedural rules" by the KFA.

Huh also accused Chung of trying to buy votes with his pledge to donate 5 billion won.

Shin also previously said he had evidence that Chung's camp had been trying to buy votes during its campaign.

Chung has taken the high road, saying on Monday that his campaign is "built on policy goals."

Chung has been leading the KFA since 2013. He beat three candidates in his first election and then ran unopposed to win each of the next two terms.

In the three-horse race this year, Chung is considered the favorite. On Monday, the Korea Football Coaches Association endorsed Chung, only six months after demanding Chung's immediate resignation in light of the KFA's controversial hiring of Hong Myung-bo as new head coach of the men's national team. (Yonhap)