Former national team coach Huh Jung-moo speaks at a press conference in Songpa District, Seoul. Nov. 25. Yonhap

A little over 14 years after coaching Korea to the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Huh Jung-moo has declared his candidacy for the top job at the national football federation.

Hun, 69, officially threw his hat into the ring for the presidential election for the Korea Football Association (KFA) at a press conference held in Seoul on Monday.

Huh will try to replace incumbent Chung Mong-gyu, who has been leading the KFA since 2013 and who is expected to declare his intent to run for a fourth term. Chung has been under mounting pressure to resign in light of a series of off-field issues plaguing the KFA, including controversy surrounding the hiring of the current men's national team head coach, Hong Myung-bo.

"Korean football has been wavering. It has not been clean, transparent or just," Huh said. "The KFA's dogmatic operating system has led to such devastating results. We all want the KFA to change for the better, but no one has been able to step up. I didn't want to remain as a bystander."

Huh said the KFA is "regressing" because of opaque and inadequate administration and its refusal to fix its problems, and added, "I feel a sense of duty to stop this freefall and help revive our football."

Huh said the unilateral decision-making process at the KFA has been at the root of the recent problems at the KFA.

"I believe that the leader of a football federation must absolutely never hire or fire a coach all on his own. The KFA has subcommittees to handle that process. If the system at the KFA had functioned properly, things wouldn't have reached this point," Huh said. "I think the KFA must become more transparent and people there should be able to make decisions and hold themselves accountable, without worrying so much about what their superiors want."

Huh said he has never been an authoritarian figure and won't become one even if he's elected.

"I'd like to keep my ears open to different voices from different people, rather than sticking to my own ways," Huh added.

In addition to keeping an open line of communication and restoring transparency at the KFA, Huh also pledged to work closely with regional football governing bodies, to revamp a system for developing and appointing coaches, and to better develop youth and female players.

Huh is considered one of the finest players in Korean football history. He logged 104 caps and scored 30 goals, while representing the country at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. As one of the first Korean players to go overseas, Huh appeared in 77 matches for the Dutch club PSV Eindhoven in the early 1980s.

Korea's coach Huh Jung Moo, right, and Park Ji Sung celebrate after qualifying for the World Cup 2010 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, June. 6, 2009. AP-Yonhap

Huh also enjoyed success in his coaching career. In his second tour of duty with the senior men's national team in 2010, Huh coached Korea to the round of 16 at the 2010 World Cup — the first time the country reached the knockout stages of an away World Cup. Huh remains the only Korean-born tactician to lead the nation to a World Cup win and to the knockout phase at the big tournament.

Huh later coached Korean clubs Jeonnam Dragons and Incheon United, before serving as a technical adviser and later as chairman of the board for Daejeon Hana Citizen FC. In between, Huh served as vice president for the KFA and later deputy commissioner of the Korean Professional Football League.

During his time at the KFA from 2013 to 2014, Huh had a chance to work closely with Chung. Huh recalled Chung as "a hard-working, trustworthy person who could really bury himself in his work."

"I admire him. Although he has had some issues in his administration lately, I have absolutely no intention to criticize him as a person. Basically, I think he has a lot of passion and love for football," Huh continued. "However, I do think that it's time for a change. During my one year or so at the KFA, I felt that the decision-making process wasn't always smooth."

Asked what separates him from Chung, Huh cited his intimate knowledge of national football across all levels.

"I am familiar with what's going on in the field, all the way from youth football to professional football. I know what's taking place at these levels inside out," Huh said. "With that knowledge as my foundation, I've long been thinking about ways to further develop Korean football. That's why I am running in his election."

The election is scheduled for Jan. 8, 2025. Candidates must be younger than 70 years old, and the election will be held five days before Huh's 70th birthday.

Candidate registration will open on Dec. 25. Huh is the first person to officially declare candidacy.

Huh said he had been hearing whispers from his naysayers that he shouldn't be running at all.

"I even heard something like, 'How dare he?' But I am not afraid," Huh said. "I won't fear any threats and I will block out such noise. I will stay focused on my goal and do the best I can to accomplish that."

Huh acknowledged he would have to start devising more specific plans to win the election, with about 200 voters — KFA delegates, executives of regional football federations, coaches, players and referees — expected to participate.

"I will not get caught up in the result," Huh said. "I feel that this is an opportunity for me to make one last contribution to Korean football. As long as I know I've done my best, then I won't have any regret even if I don't get elected. But if I do win the election, I'd like to be the bridge for a younger generation of great football minds." (Yonhap)