Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Yu In-chon, right, speaks during a parliamentary audit of the ministry at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday. Newsis
The minister of culture, sports and tourism hinted Monday that the selection process could be restarted regarding the appointment of football star-turned-manager Hong Myung-bo as the national men's football team manager amid fairness concerns over his appointment.
"Even before the audit of the Korea Football Association (KFA), I stated that if the manager selection process was unfair, it should be redone. That statement remains valid, and its meaning hasn't changed," Yu In-chon, the sports minister, said during a parliamentary audit of the ministry at the National Assembly.
The sports ministry launched an audit of the KFA after controversies emerged over fairness concerns in the appointment process, in which the KFA named Hong Myung-bo the national team manager in July.
Related to this issue, KFA officials, including Hong and KFA President Chung Mong-gyu, faced questioning at the National Assembly during lawmakers' inquiries to the ministry on Sept. 24.
In response, FIFA sent a letter on Sept. 29 to the KFA, warning that the association could face sanctions over any external interference. FIFA cited its regulations requiring independence from political intervention.
Article 14, Paragraph 1 (i) of the FIFA Statutes, in conjunction with Article 19, Paragraph 1, states, "Each member association shall manage its affairs independently and without undue influence from third parties." Violating these regulations could result in disciplinary action, including suspension of membership.
In its interim audit results of the KFA announced on Wednesday, the sports ministry revealed that procedural flaws were found in Hong's selection process, but concluded it would be difficult to invalidate Hong's contract based solely on these procedural issues.
In this regard, the minister clarified that the audit of the association is still ongoing and will be conducted in compliance with FIFA regulations. He added that he will look closely at the controversies surrounding the football association and announce the audit results within this month.
"If the ministry forcefully demands a change of manager, it would conflict with FIFA regulations. I consider FIFA's letter a routine procedure. We will ensure compliance. The manager selection process should be redone," the minister said.
"The ministry cannot intervene in the dismissal directly at this moment. However, my stance remains unchanged. I believe we need to go through a fair process again. This is what the public wants. The ministry has clearly stated that the process was unfair, and we will ensure a fair procedure is followed."
Also, Yu reaffirmed that the KFA president will not be able to run for a fourth four-year term of office in early 2025.
Those going for a fourth term as head of a national sports federation must have their candidacy approved by the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) prior to an election. However, even if the KSOC allows Chung to run for a fourth term, the minister said the ministry "will issue a corrective order."
The head of a government-backed sports federation can serve up to two consecutive terms and the KSOC's permission is required for a third term or more. The sports minister has been of the opinion that Chung should not be allowed to serve a fourth term because the KFA was not operating under fair procedures.