Ulsan HD FC fans display slogans criticizing KFA chief Chung Mong-gyu during the K League football match between the Ulsan HD FC and the Gwangju FC at the Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan, July 10. Newsis

Chung Mong-gyu, president of the Korea Football Association (KFA), published a memoir detailing his football career, but the football body chief has been facing a torrent of criticisms from fans criticizing the timing of the publication at a time when the nation has been performing far below expectations in the beautiful game.

Chung, who also serves as a chairman of the nation's construction mogul HDC, released the book titled "The Age of Football," summarizing his 30-year involvement in football, according to the memoir's publisher BRAINstore.

Chung Mong-gyu, president of Korea Football Association and chairman of HDC Group, is seen on the cover of his essay "The Age of Football." Courtesy of BRAINstore

The publisher said the book reveals how Chung applied insights gained from managing his business to the sport. It added the book candidly shows Chung's moments of reflection on Korean football as he progressed from owner of Busan IPark, a professional football club, to president of the Korea Professional Football League and finally to KFA president.

"I hope that this unfiltered story, encompassing 30 years of my football life, will serve as a good guide for those who will strive for the future of Korean football," Chung said in a statement released on the occasion of his book's publication.

However, the news of the book's release has sparked criticism online, with fans wondering why the book was published at a time when Korean football is at a low point in its history.

"I understand that he has made efforts for the development of Korean football. But I don't understand why he released a book at this time when he's receiving a lot of criticism for recent wrong decisions," a football fan wrote online.

"I'm angry that he released a memoir when he should be writing an apology," another fan wrote.

This month, Chung appointed Hong Myung-bo, a former star player and former Ulsan HD FC head coach, as the Korean men's national football team head coach. Fans have been criticizing the KFA for appointing Hong without a fair process, despite many foreign coaches expressing interest in the position.

As the fierce backlash from football fans shows no signs of abating, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has recently initiated an audit of the KFA to check the procedure of the head coach appointment and other related controversies surrounding the football governing body.

In February, the KFA also fired the national men's team's head coach Jurgen Klinsmann after losing 0-2 to Jordan in the semifinals of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. The KFA had been criticized for appointing this German head coach who received a high salary but only joined the team for matches without residing in Korea.

Additionally, in the football matches for the Paris Olympics that started on Wednesday, both Korean men's and women's teams failed to secure participation, being eliminated in the qualifying competition. Fans have particularly criticized the KFA for the men's national team's failure to qualify for the Olympics, as the team had competed in every Olympics since the 1988 Seoul Games up to the 2020 Tokyo Games.

The publisher stated that this memoir could be Chung's first official comment on the criticism he has received.

"Perhaps this book could be the first 'official comment' addressing the misunderstandings and controversies surrounding President Chung Mong-gyu," BRAINstore said. "He immersed himself in the writing with the intention of summarizing his 30-year life as a football figure in one book."