"How dare you know?" Park Ji-sung retorts to insults, warns against "no return to the status quo" amid backlash from football community

*This content was translated by AI.

'Gentle' Park Ji-sung, chairman of the K-Football Innovation Committee and member of a FIFA sub-committee, has changed. He calmly retorts to insults from local football figures directed at him and sharply cuts off opposition to revisions in the rules for the Han Chuk-gu-hyeop (Chairman) election.

Chairman Park Ji-sung stated after concluding the 3rd Meeting of the K-Football Innovation Committee held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 20th, regarding the recent controversy over remarks made by Seo Gang-il, president of the Jeonbuk Football Association: "I believe his comments came from his own thoughts. However, the fact that many people showed a rejection response to his (Seo Gang-il (Chairman)) opinions is ultimately proof that it was an action unsuitable for his position."

Earlier, Seo Gang-il (Chairman) sparked fierce controversy by pouring out insulting remarks in an interview with KBS: "What do Park Ji-sung and Lee Young-pyo (K-Football Innovation Committee member) know to form an innovation committee? What do they know to speak so recklessly? They were national team players as footballers, but how long have they lived their lives, how much law do they know, and what social experience do they have to become an innovation chairman?"

According to NEWSIS, Chairman Park Ji-sung added a sharp remark in response to Seo (Chairman)'s comments: "I believe that as people in positions such as regional football association presidents show their actions and words going forward, the football community will also be able to recover."

Regarding voices opposing the Innovation Committee's move to revise regulations related to the presidential election, Chairman Park Ji-sung said, "It was predictable," yet he did not back down even slightly. According to the bylaws of the Korea Football Association (KFA), a Lee Nae-e (Chairman) election must be held within 60 days when the presidency becomes vacant; however, the Innovation Committee is pushing for a major overhaul of the election method in coordination with the Korean Olympic Committee and Ham Kke (Chairman). The intention is to significantly extend both the deadline and the number of electors to properly elect a proper president through a legitimate election.

Already, the parent organization, the Korean Olympic Committee, passed an amendment to its bylaws with unanimous consent at an extraordinary general meeting on the 16th to increase the number of electors from around 2,200 to a staggering 92,000—a more than 40-fold increase. In accordance with changes in the committee's regulations, affiliated sports organizations must also adopt 'expansion of electors' as a basic principle and negotiate with the Olympic Committee on the composition of electors and voting methods to reflect these changes starting from 2028.

However, if an organization under the committee deems it necessary to apply the revised rules early, it may apply them even sooner in consultation with the Olympic Committee. Yoo Seung-min, president of the Korean Olympic Committee, directly stated, "The election revision was made to allow for early application, keeping the Korea Football Association in mind." Additionally, the Olympic Committee plans to discuss a bylaw revision through its board meeting at the end of this month that would require the election of a new president within 60 days of a vacancy.

In response to the movement to revise the Lee Gat-eun (Chairman) election rules, Seo Gang-il, president of the Jeonbuk Football Association, stated, "According to the current (KFA) bylaws, a by-election must be held within 60 days; why are you trying to tear up the bylaws?" Consequently, voices in the existing football community are growing louder that the next Han Chuk-gu-hyeop (Chairman) election should proceed according to the existing method. During the 55th Han Chuk-gu-hyeop (Chairman) election last year, the number of electors was a mere 192, including regional football association presidents, and Jeong (Chairman) was elected with an overwhelming support rate of 85.6%. The argument is that this method should be maintained for the next presidential election.

However, Chairman Park Ji-sung stated clearly: "Given that there will be revisions to the regulations of member organizations under the Korean Olympic Committee and that the Football Association must follow suit, I expected there would be opposition." Yet he drew a clear line by adding, "Nevertheless, this revision plan will not return to the status quo." He made it clear to existing football figures expressing dissatisfaction with the revision plan: "There will be no compromise."

"We have agreed that the Korean Olympic Committee will promptly revise the 'Member Sports Organization Regulations,' which stipulate an indirect election system of within 300 members," Park (Chairman) said. "The Football Association also prepared a review plan for revising the electors to align with the Olympic Committee's revision and discussed it together." He emphasized, "The most important criteria will be the legitimacy of Gong Jeong-seong-gwa (CEO), which can gain public trust, and its feasibility."

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*This content was translated by AI.