Direct Election System Faces Hurdles: Breaking the 'KFA Cartel'

[Anchor]

To help South Korean football recover from the shock of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, experts point to personnel reform as the top priority. In particular, transitioning to a direct election system for the Korea Football Association (KFA) president is considered essential to dismantling the established power structure, often referred to as the 'KFA cartel' centered around President Chung Mong-gyu. However, this process is proving to be far from easy.

Reporter Hong Seok-jun investigates why.

[Reporter]

President Chung Mong-gyu, who has led the KFA since 2013, succeeded in securing a fourth term last year with overwhelming support, despite receiving a recommendation for heavy disciplinary action from the government.

The election system, which heavily favors the incumbent, is cited as the primary reason for this.

The current method is an indirect election where approximately 200 'electoral college' members cast their votes. About 30 percent of these members consist of KFA delegates and K리그 club officials, leading to persistent criticism that the playing field is tilted in favor of the incumbent president.

There is growing demand to implement a 'direct election system' where all KFA members can vote to break this entrenched power.

As President Chung has decided to step down after this World Cup, calls are mounting to adopt a direct election system starting with the next presidential race. However, there are significant obstacles to overcome.

First, as the KFA is an affiliate of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC), it must follow the committee's articles of association, which mandate an indirect election system for the heads of affiliate organizations.

[Lee Jae-myung, Member of the National Assembly: The KSOC itself uses a direct election system and has term limits, but what about the affiliate or regional organizations?]

[Yoo Seung-min, Former Member of the National Assembly (December last year): We originally used an indirect system, but we are revising the regulations. Starting from the KSOC presidential election in January 2029...]

The scale of the election is another variable.

The KFA has approximately 150,000 members. If a direct election were held, the number of voters would be comparable to a local district election in Seoul.

However, FIFA prohibits online voting, citing concerns that the principle of secret ballots cannot be guaranteed.

This means that to comply with FIFA regulations, in-person voting must be held instead of online voting. Preparing for an in-person direct election for 150,000 people would inevitably lead to a surge in costs and preparation time.

[KSOC Official: If you were to set up around 100 voting stations, it could cost several billion won, so the primary concern would be how to cover those expenses.]

Furthermore, FIFA strictly prohibits third-party intervention, including government involvement, in elections, meaning the entire process must be handled with extreme caution.

Last month, FIFA suspended the All Nepal Football Association, banning it from participating in FIFA-sanctioned tournaments like the World Cup, after determining that the Nepalese government had interfered in the association's presidential election.

In short, the first step toward reforming the football community—improving the election system—requires strong will and effort from the KFA itself. Fans are increasingly concerned about whether the association, which is the very target of this reform, can solve this initial challenge.

Reported by Hong Seok-jun | Video by Nam Il | Graphics by Kim Ye-ji
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.