K-Football Innovation Committee Extends Deadline for Next President Election, Plans to Amend '60-Day Rule'

The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee has decided to extend the deadline for the next Korea Football Association (KFA) presidential election to ensure a more transparent process, accepting the recommendations of the K-Football Innovation Committee (hereinafter the Innovation Committee), which was launched to reform Korean football.

The Innovation Committee reached this consensus during its second meeting, presided over by co-chair Park Ji-sung, at the conference room of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, on the afternoon of July 13.

The meeting was held behind closed doors for approximately two hours, and Park held a briefing immediately afterward. Park stated, "We have decided to provide institutional support to amend the regulations for member sports organizations, which currently require the election of a new president within 60 days, to allow for an extension of the election deadline in cases of unavoidable circumstances."

He added, "We plan to begin the procedures starting tomorrow, July 14, and complete the regulation amendments within this month. We will prepare an election plan that allows for the selection of a new president through a proper process with more time."

The Innovation Committee intends to prepare proposals for revising the articles of association and improving the election system to discuss them in earnest at the next meeting.

Currently, the positions of KFA president and head coach of the South Korean national football team are both vacant.

Chung Mong-gyu, who led the KFA for 13 years and 5 months, announced in a statement on May 29 that he would step down after the 2026 FIFA World Cup. National team head coach Hong Myung-bo also resigned voluntarily after the team failed to advance to the Round of 32 following their elimination in the group stage of the tournament.

According to the current KFA articles of association, if the presidency becomes vacant and the remaining term is one year or more, a new president must be elected within 60 days.

However, the Innovation Committee decided to overhaul the election regulations themselves, sharing a consensus that reform cannot be achieved under the existing election system.

"As football fans harbor distrust toward the existing presidential election method, we must resolve this and build an environment trusted by many," Park explained. "This decision was made with the expectation that only then will the next leadership be able to properly carry out its duties with trust."

Regarding the introduction of a direct election system for the president and the expansion of the electoral college (currently 100 to 300 people), which the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee had previously signaled, the Innovation Committee maintained a cautious stance.

"The composition of the electoral college is ultimately a matter to be addressed after the regulation amendments are passed, so nothing has been firmly decided yet," Park said. "While we must consider various situations regarding whether the amendments will be applied immediately to this election, it is clear that it will not be conducted in the same way as the previous presidential election."

The second meeting was attended by the same members as the first, including co-chair Park Ji-sung, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young, football commentators Lee Young-pyo and Park Joo-ho, Korean Sport & Olympic Committee President Lee Kee-heung, KFA Executive Director Kim Seung-hee, K League Secretary General Cho Yeon-sang, attorney Yoo Young-keun, and Pukyong National University professor Kim Dae-hee.

The temporary Innovation Committee, established in response to demands for comprehensive reform from within and outside the football community following the North and Central America World Cup, plans to hold weekly meetings to discuss key tasks for strengthening the future competitiveness of Korean football, including improving K-football governance, youth development, and the introduction of advanced systems.

(Photo: Courtesy of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.