Football Association election delayed

[Anchor]

The election for the president of the Korea Football Association, which is ongoing amid controversy, is increasingly facing disruptions.

The entire election management committee, which had been criticized for unfair practices, has decided to resign, leading to an indefinite postponement of the presidential election.

Reporter Kim Gi-beom has the story.

[Report]

The election for the president of the Korea Football Association, featuring current president Chung Mong-gyu, former national team coach Huh Jung-moo, and commentator Shin Moon-sun, has been shaky from the start.

The election management committee, responsible for overseeing and managing the election, was established on Dec. 12.

However, concerns were raised about a lack of transparency as the list of committee members was not disclosed to the candidates, leading to accusations of a "opaque election."

[Huh Jung-moo/Korea Football Association presidential candidate: "Since the names are not disclosed, there is no way to confirm whether the committee was formed according to regulations, and can we expect fairness and transparency?"]

Ultimately, it was only after a lawsuit for an injunction to halt the election that the list was submitted to the court. Among the eight members of the election management committee obtained by KBS, four are former lawyers, and three of them specialize in construction and real estate, raising concerns that this may favor candidate Chung Mong-gyu, who is the chairman of Hyundai Development Company.

Additionally, the process of drawing the electoral group, which they conducted, was not transparently disclosed, further increasing suspicions.

As opposition candidates clearly expressed their intention to reject the election, which was postponed to Jan. 23, all members of the election management committee ultimately resigned.

However, the committee stated that they had conducted all procedures fairly and objectively, but malicious slander continued, expressing hope for a more mature election culture in the future.

With the dissolution of the election management committee, the presidential election of the Korea Football Association has been postponed indefinitely.

Opposition candidates have stated that they cannot trust the administration of the Korea Football Association and are demanding a more objective election.

[Shin Moon-sun/Korea Football Association presidential candidate: "I hope that the election can be conducted transparently according to fair procedures and from an objective perspective by entrusting it to the National Election Commission."]

The Korea Football Association plans to review whether to entrust the presidential election to the National Election Commission and will schedule future plans accordingly.

This is KBS News Kim Gi-beom.