'K-Football Innovation Committee' Park Ji-sung: "Pushing to Amend Regulations for Election Within 60 Days of Vacancy"... Declares Non-Attendance at Hearing [On-Site Q&A]

*This content was translated by AI.

Park Ji-sung (45), K-Football Innovation Committee Gong Dong-wi (Director), announced plans to amend regulations for electing the president of the Korea Football Association (KFA).

The second meeting of the K-Football Innovation Committee was held on the afternoon of the 13th in the main conference room of the Seoul Hall at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Jongno-gu, Seoul.

After a two-hour closed-door meeting starting at 4 p.m., Committee Chair Park Ji-sung opened with: "I will share the results of the second meeting. At the first meeting, we seriously recognized the limitations of the current governance and reached an agreement with the Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) to provide administrative support for reform measures that allow more football stakeholders to participate."

Under the current KOC bylaws, there is a limitation requiring the election of a new president via indirect voting within 60 days of a vacancy. Accordingly, Chair Park Ji-sung explained: "The KOC has agreed to amend the regulation regarding 'election within 60 days of a presidential vacancy' to allow for extensions in cases of unavoidable circumstances through institutional support. This measure considers not only the situation of the football association but also other sports organizations facing difficulties due to prolonged vacancies, such as water skiing and wushu. If the KOC completes the amendment by the end of this month, the football association will also prepare amendments to its bylaws and improvements to the election system for discussion at the next meeting."

Chair Park Ji-sung further briefed: "In addition, the Innovation Committee has decided to sequentially discuss agenda items aimed at establishing a sustainable vision for K-football, including the development of youth players."

- Was there any discussion regarding the electoral college?

▶Today, the priority is to first change the system itself, as it is impossible to hold an election by merely changing the electoral college without such a change. Therefore, we discussed establishing the necessary foundation for conducting a proper election first.

Since the amendment process will begin tomorrow, future discussions on the electoral college will be based on the KOC's continuous efforts over the past year and a half. Not all sports organizations will necessarily follow the same approach, as each faces unique circumstances; thus, we believe it is necessary to continue discussing with the KOC how to form the electoral college within that framework.

- Are you setting a strict deadline?

▶Currently, regulations require the election of the president of the football association to be held within 60 days. However, since the KOC is preparing an exception clause allowing for extension of this deadline, we expect that a more comprehensive and extended timeline will be established to conduct the election through proper procedures.

Rather than focusing on how long the term should be, I believe it is essential to create an environment where a legitimate and appropriate election can take place in order to elect a qualified president. The deadline itself is not the most critical factor; ultimately, many people, including ourselves, harbor distrust regarding presidential elections. If we can resolve these concerns and ensure that the new president emerges from an environment that earns trust from more people, I expect that when leading the next football association, they will be able to advance their work in a more trusted environment.

- Was there any discussion regarding the appointment of the next national team coach?

▶There was no discussion today regarding the appointment of the next coach. This matter cannot be addressed externally; I believe the football association is already well aware of the proper procedures that must be followed internally. If the Innovation Committee can assist when such procedures or systems are being discussed, we are open to discussing it further in that regard.

- Will you attend the hearing?

▶No, I will not attend. Besides the schedule of youth tournaments, I determined there is no need to appear at the hearing since I have nothing specific to say regarding any matters related to the football association.

- Was there any discussion regarding direct elections?

▶The KOC is pursuing a broader electoral college, which may or may not be accurately termed 'direct election.' Regardless, they are moving toward an approach that differs from the current system of forming an electoral college. All organizations will eventually need to adjust to this direction.

However, it remains unclear whether this will be adopted for the upcoming football association presidential election, as various factors such as time and personnel must be considered. It may take more time to determine if this will happen. What is certain, however, is that the election will not proceed in the same manner as the previous one.

- If the presidential election period is extended, should we assume the Innovation Committee's activity period will also be extended?

▶Since our role is not to elect the president, I do not believe our activities must necessarily continue until the election concludes. Once institutional measures are in place and we have submitted proposals, we likely will not extend our activities indefinitely but rather align with those developments.

-So, aside from establishing an exception clause for the 60th-day limit, were there no discussions yet on direct elections or similar topics?

▶Establishing a direct election system or forming an electoral college will ultimately be addressed after this amendment is passed. Therefore, no definitive decisions have been made regarding those specific points. However, both the football association and we share the same view that the previous election methods cannot earn public trust. While I expect the size of the electoral college to increase in the future, it remains to be seen exactly how much it will grow.

- In football, with nearly 100,000 players and around 20,000 coaches, a fully direct election is difficult, so setting proper criteria is crucial. What kind of criteria do you think would be appropriate?

▶I believe that all individuals associated with the football association should have the opportunity to participate in electing the president. This includes players, coaches, and instructors who are adults. Ultimately, what we seek is not merely 'how many people vote,' but rather establishing a foundation where fans can trust the process and feel confident that "whoever is elected through this system will be recognized and supported."

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*This content was translated by AI.