Park Ji-sung, Chairman: "KFA President Election Will Not Be Postponed Beyond This Year... KFA Also Actively Involved"

*This content was translated by AI.

The upcoming election for the president of the Korea Football Association (KFA) will be significantly expanded from a few hundred participants to approximately 20,000 voters and conducted via electronic voting. The election is expected to take place no later than this year.

Park Ji-sung, Chair of the K-Football Innovation Committee Gong Dong-wi (Director), announced plans for restructuring the KFA presidential election and the future schedule following a press briefing after the 6th meeting of the Innovation Committee held at the office building of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 11th.

Chairman Park Ji-sung stated, "To ensure the KFA presidential election is conducted transparently and democratically, the association has decided to promptly proceed with follow-up procedures such as amending its articles of incorporation based on the Innovation Committee's recommendations and hold the election." He added, "The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism are also expected to actively support administrative and financial matters."

Previously, at its 5th meeting, the Innovation Committee confirmed a recommendation to expand the voter pool to around 20,000 individuals to better reflect on-the-ground voices and enhance election fairness. This represents more than a 100-fold increase from the previous scale of approximately 192 voters as of 2025.

The new voter system will be structured into five categories: approximately 4,000 to 6,000 professional players (K1–K4, WK, U-League), around 4,000 to 6,000 amateur players (K5–K7 and tournament participants), roughly 4,000 to 6,000 registered coaches, about 3,000 registered referees, and approximately 1,000 others including regular member organizations and delegates.

With the significant expansion of the voter base, changes in voting methods are also expected. Chairman Park Ji-sung explained, "Given that around 20,000 voters will participate, the current method has limitations. We will refine practical measures through working meetings to introduce online or electronic voting while thoroughly ensuring security systems and the feasibility of secret ballots."

Regarding the timing of the election, he emphasized, "The KFA is also actively committed to holding the election as soon as possible. Although procedures such as amending the articles of incorporation are necessary, both committee members and the association have agreed to conclude the election by the end of this year at the latest."

Additionally, the Innovation Committee decided to prioritize player development in reforming the youth player cultivation system and to improve league and tournament structures while considering environmental factors such as climate change. It is also reviewing institutional innovation measures to ensure transparency and professionalism in the selection body for national team coaches. However, it clearly stated that the committee will not directly intervene in the ongoing recruitment process for temporary head coaches for A-match games scheduled from September to November.

Meanwhile, the Innovation Committee will hold an open listening session combined with its 7th meeting at 2 p.m. on the 19th at the Grand Hall of the KFA Stadium at Korea Football Park in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province. At this event, various opinions from the field, including plans for youth development, will be gathered with direct participation from football players and fans.

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*This content was translated by AI.