'Fans want it...' Park Ji-sung dismisses talk of running for next Football Association president: "If I had considered running, it would have undermined the Innovation Committee's fairness" [Olympic-ro site]

*This content was translated by AI.

Park Ji-sung (45), who serves as a member of the 'K-Football Innovation Committee' Gong Dong-wi (Director) and a FIFA sub-committee member, firmly ruled out the possibility of running in the upcoming by-election for the Football Association presidency.

Commissioner Park was asked by reporters immediately after the first meeting of the Innovation Committee held at Olympic Parktel in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on the 6th: "Many fans are expecting it; is it true that you have decided not to run in the next association president election?"

He stated, "If I had entered the Innovation Committee with the intention of running for the next presidency, there would be ample room for misinterpretation and it would not be fair," drawing a clear line. This move completely blocked potential conflicts of interest that could arise if an Innovation Committee member were to run in the election during the early stages of its launch.

The key agenda of the first meeting was football association governance reform and a future vision for sustainable football development. Commissioner Park explained, "All committee members agreed that a democratic election process involving many football professionals is essential to restore public trust. Under the serious recognition that the current system is insufficient, we will discuss improvement measures that the Football Association actively accepts and that the Korean Olympic Committee supports administratively." The Innovation Committee plans to hold regular meetings once a week going forward to continue related discussions.

The committee also clarified its authority and role. Commissioner Park noted, "Currently, decisions made by the Innovation Committee are advisory in nature without binding force," but added, "Given that it includes both the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Olympic Committee, we will focus on helping the Football Association recover lost trust through administrative support during this initial phase."

Furthermore, he emphasized that the Innovation Committee is not intended to be a permanent body. Its core purpose is to lay the foundation for restoring the collapsed trust system so that the next executive team can move in the right direction.

Regarding the issue of appointing the A national team coach, which has drawn significant fan attention, he took a cautious stance: "This is the first matter the Strength Enhancement Committee must address. There is almost no room for external organizations to interfere in the coach appointment process itself; ultimately, it is a problem that the Football Association must resolve by building its own trust."

Meanwhile, measures were also taken regarding concerns about violations of FIFA's 'prohibition on government intervention' articles raised during the launch of this Innovation Committee. Originally, Choi Hwi-young, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, was designated as Gong Dong-wi (Director), but he stepped down from his position, allowing Yoo Seung-min, President of the Korean Olympic Committee, to take over as chairperson, shifting the direction toward sports-sector-led reform. The Innovation Committee members were also composed of football professionals with strong public trust, including Park Ji-sung, Lee Young-pyo, and Park Ju-ho, on the condition that they would not run in the next election, demonstrating their resolve for renewal.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.