"Korea Football Park Opened" Chairman Chung Mong-kyu said, "Korean soccer can reach the World Cup semifinals or higher... "I'll work hard"

*This content was translated by AI.

Chung Mong-gyu (64), president of the Korea Football Association, has promised a leap forward in the Korean soccer industry by declaring the opening of the Korea Football Park, which will become the new cradle of Korean soccer.

The Korea Football Association held the opening ceremony of Korea Football Park at Ipjang-myeon, Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do on the afternoon of the 7th.

According to News 1, Chairman Chung Mong-kyu said, "We will foster young players to grow their dreams and become future national teams at Korea Football Park," adding, "We will make soccer more accessible to the public by hosting the final of the sports soccer tournament here."

Korea Football Park, jointly built by the Korea Football Association and Cheonan City, is an ultra-large complex with a total area of about 145,000 pyeong and a total construction cost of about 400 billion won. It is complete with state-of-the-art infrastructure, including small stadiums, indoor soccer fields, 11 soccer fields, 4 futsal stadiums, and 5 tennis courts.

Chairman Chung Mong-gyu expressed strong confidence in the world-class level of Korea Football Park. "Not long ago, Japan and the U.S. U23 national teams also trained here. Everyone was very satisfied. I have been asked to train here often in the future," he said.

Chairman Chung Mong-gyu added, "I hope that not only domestic teams but also many teams in Asia will use Korea Football Park," adding, "We will invite experts from various fields such as leaders, referees, and medical personnel as well as athletes."

Korea Football Park went through twists and turns due to construction delays caused by the aftermath of COVID-19 and various ups and downs inside and outside the association after the site was selected. Chairman Chung Mong-kyu said, "There were doubts about whether the soccer industry could continue to grow due to the overlapping COVID-19 situation," adding, "It was also regrettable that construction was delayed due to various events at the Korea Football Association even after the site was selected."

In addition, Chairman Chung Mong-gyu emphasized, "As it was difficult to open, we will make good use of Korea Football Park to strengthen the competitiveness of the national team as well as to enhance the competitiveness of the Korean soccer industry."

He also expressed his views on the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North Korea and the U.S., which will be held two months later. Chairman Chung Mong-gyu said, "The World Cup is always a difficult stage," adding, "But if the national team by age becomes solid, I think it will be possible to go beyond the semifinals someday." I will try hard," he stressed.

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*This content was translated by AI.