Lee Yong-soo fills the void left by Chung Mong-kyu; Korea Football Association approves 'acting system'

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Yong-soo (67), vice president of the Korea Football Association, will temporarily serve as acting Han Chuk-gu-hyeop (Chairman). With Jeon (Chairman) stepping down, Lee is filling the leadership vacuum at the football association.

According to sports industry sources on the 22nd, the Korean Sports Council approved Lee Yong-soo's appointment as acting official on the 20th. Under the Korea Football Association's bylaws, when the presidency becomes vacant, the vice president designated in the order of succession or the senior-most vice president may assume duties upon ratification by the Korean Sports Council.

Jeong (Chairman), who had expressed intentions to resign ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, submitted his resignation letter after holding his final executive meeting on the 6th. According to regulations, the acting Han Chuk-gu-hyeop (Chairman) is considered to have resigned simultaneously with the submission of the resignation letter. Following this, the Korea Football Association experienced a leadership vacuum for some time before establishing a new acting system approximately two weeks after Jeong (Chairman)'s resignation.

With the transition to an acting system, expectations are rising that preparations for the next presidential election will accelerate. Recently launched under the leadership of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the K-Football Innovation Committee is gathering opinions on improving the Han Chuk-gu-hyeop (Chairman) election process. The parent organization, the Korean Sports Council, also plans to revise its bylaws regarding elections to expand the electorate and soon adjust regulations stipulating that a presidential election must be held within 60 days of a vacancy.

Kim Seung-hee, former executive director of the Korea Football Association, is participating in the K-Football Innovation Committee. In fact, during the committee's third meeting recently, an amendment proposal to restructure the football association's electorate was also prepared. However, due to the lack of leadership, the association has not demonstrated significant external movements at the organizational level. The Korea Football Association now expects that the transition to an acting system will accelerate discussions on institutional reforms and related tasks.

However, the scope of duties for the acting official remains critical. According to the Korea Football Association's bylaws, an acting official may only handle routine administrative matters and cannot undertake actions beyond maintaining the status quo, such as policy shifts or personnel changes. Whether the acting official can manage amendments to the bylaws or changes in election systems requires legal interpretation. The football association is reported to have conducted not only a legal review but also sought clarification from the Korean Sports Council and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on these matters.

A former player, Lee Yong-soo began his administrative career as a technical committee member of the Korea Football Association in 1997 after serving as a commentator following his retirement. He later held positions including Gi Sul-wi (Director) and head of the Future Strategy Planning Unit. He served as vice president of the Korea Football Association during the 2016–2017 and 2021–2022 terms, respectively, and rejoined the role after Jeong Mong-gyu (Chairman)'s fourth term, taking charge of planning and administrative functions related to the association's vision and strategy within the 55th executive team.

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*This content was translated by AI.