'Disgraceful resignation' Jeong Mong-gyu: "Sometimes I lived up to expectations" — absurd self-praise ends with a brief farewell, confirming 'resignation finalized'

*This content was translated by AI.

Jeong Mong-gyu (64) has stepped down. This comes 13 years and five months after he was elected as the 52nd President of the KFA in January 2013. According to the Korea Football Association, Jeong submitted his resignation letter following the final executive board meeting held on the 6th at Cheonan Korea Football Park. The KFA constitution states that when a president submits a resignation letter, they are considered to have resigned immediately upon submission.

Jeong Mong-gyu had already expressed his intention to resign ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America and the Caribbean. At the end of May, he suddenly announced his resignation, stating, "I am well aware that there were various controversies and criticisms during my tenure leading the Korea Football Association. I believe all of this is due to my own lack of virtue," adding, "I intend to step down from the position of KFA president after this World Cup concludes." Although many expected him to submit his resignation after the World Cup ended, he ultimately submitted it sooner than anticipated amid intensifying confusion surrounding Korean football and the KFA following the early elimination of Hong Myung-bo's team.

It is a "disgraceful departure." Despite succeeding in securing a fourth term through his election as the 55th President, he leaves office before completing his fourth term, which was scheduled to last until 2029. As he himself stated, his tenure was plagued by fierce controversies and criticisms. Controversies surrounding the appointments of coaches Jurgen Klinsmann and Hong Myung-bo were not the only issues; there were also continuous debates over pardoning past match-fixing offenders and various administrative controversies within the KFA. The fact that he chose to step down without holding a separate press conference after serving as the head of Korean football administration for over 13 years is interpreted as a reflection of his inability to leave with applause.

His final message to fans was less than 400 characters long. Jeong wrote, "During my tenure as President of the KFA, I ran solely with the hope of seeing the development and glory of Korean football," and added, "All glory and achievements belong to the players and fans; all shortcomings and faults are entirely my responsibility." However, even in this final farewell, he included the absurd self-praise that "sometimes I lived up to expectations," which caused fans to furrow their brows. Of course, there were some positive aspects, such as the construction of Cheonan Korea Football Park and the establishment of a division system, but by adding his own evaluation that he "lived up to expectations" rather than relying on external assessments, he only added unnecessary controversy until the very end.

With Jeong's resignation confirmed, Korean football now faces a situation where it must quickly elect a successor president while operating without a leader for the time being. In the event of a vacancy in the KFA presidency, duties are to be performed by the vice-president according to the established order at the time of appointment; if no such order exists, the senior-most member assumes the role. With Vice President Park Hang-seo stepping down, the remaining vice-presidents are Lee Yong-soo, Shin Jeong-sik, and Kim Byeong-ji. One of them will assume the duties of president after receiving approval from the Korean Olympic Committee. However, since Jeong's term has more than one year remaining, the KFA must elect a new president within 60 days.

It remains uncertain whether the next presidential election will proceed smoothly. The KFA stated, "We plan to prepare the process for the next presidential election fairly and without delay, centered on the acting president," but there is a high likelihood of continued controversy over the method of electing the KFA president. This is because there are strong voices criticizing the current election system, which allowed the current KFA president to secure a fourth term with an overwhelming 85.6% support rate despite fierce controversies and criticisms during the 2024 presidential election.

In fact, Choi Hwi-young, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, previously emphasized on the 29th of last month while announcing a special audit of the KFA: "I have heard concerns from some quarters that the election of a new president for the KFA may be forced to follow the same method as before according to the existing constitution. If we understand the earnest wishes of all citizens who are left feeling empty, we cannot allow that. Solutions can always be found if sought. We will seek the wisdom and sound judgment of the football community."

Discussions on the presidential election method also took place at the first meeting of the 'K-Football Innovation Committee' held on the 6th. Park Ji-sung, Chairperson of the K-Football Innovation Committee, stated, "All committee members agreed that a democratic election process involving a majority of football stakeholders is essential to restore public trust. With a serious recognition that the current system is unacceptable, we will proactively negotiate for the KFA to actively adopt improvement plans discussed under this premise and for the Korean Olympic Committee to provide administrative support."

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*This content was translated by AI.