*This content was translated by AI.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, having secured a court ruling affirming the legality of disciplinary demands against Jeong Mong-gyu and others, has begun pressuring the Korea Football Association.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 30th that it sent an official letter to the Football Association repeatedly urging the implementation of the 'request for disciplinary action and measures based on audit results' that was demanded on November 5, 2024. This comes just one week after the first-instance judgment in the lawsuit 'Claim for Cancellation of Notification of Specific Audit Results and Request for Measures.'
The Seoul Administrative Court, Administrative Division 5 (Judge Lee Jeong-won (Director)), ruled on the 23rd that the lawsuit filed by the Korea Football Association against the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism was lost by the plaintiff (the Football Association). The court determined that the Ministry's audit scope and disciplinary demands were lawful, and that the requests for measures on a case-by-case basis were also justified.
The court explained, "While some of the plaintiff's points of criticism were found to be inappropriate, this does not make the Ministry's (disciplinary) action requests improper or illegal. We judged that such disciplinary demands fall within the scope of discretionary authority."
The 'suspension of execution' regarding the notification of specific audit results and request for measures, which the Korea Football Association filed alongside the administrative lawsuit, was finalized by the Supreme Court last September. However, with this first-instance judgment, the suspension of execution will expire 30 days from the judgment date, on the 26th of next month. According to regulations, the Football Association must implement the request for disciplinary action against Jeong Mong-gyu (Chairman) and other relevant executives within one month after the expiration of the suspension, and carry out institutional improvements and corrective measures within two months.
According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the court ruled that the authority to demand disciplinary action against the Football Association lies with the Ministry, that audits were conducted lawfully within the physical and temporal scope, and that the severity of disciplinary measures was determined at a level prescribed by the Association's own regulations. Furthermore, regarding major individual action requests that the Football Association claimed were illegal—such as violations of the selection procedure for the national team head coach, improper management of subsidies for the construction of the Football Comprehensive Center, and improper handling of pardons for football personnel—the Ministry's criticisms were all recognized, and the court ruled that the requests for measures and disciplinary actions could not be considered improper.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism side emphasized, "The Football Association must take this judgment seriously. We hope it becomes an important turning point for South Korean football to regain the trust of the public and advance to the next level. We expect the Football Association to reflect on itself and actively strive for innovation in South Korean football. We will closely monitor the process of implementing future measures."
Meanwhile, following the first-instance judgment, the Korea Football Association is also deeply considering its response strategy. The board meeting, originally scheduled for the 12th of next month, has been moved forward to the 6th. While various agenda items will be discussed at the board meeting, the core issue is expected to be whether to appeal the judgment. It is reported that the Korea Football Association must decide on an appeal by the 8th of next month, the deadline set by the Bank of Korea. According to the KFA's articles of association, if an executive receives a disciplinary action of suspension or higher and the period has not yet ended, they are deemed ineligible for office.
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*This content was translated by AI.
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