[Issue Plus] Chairman Lee Ki-heung and Chung Mong-gyu 'decided to run'...Why are you pushing for the challenge?

■ Host: Lee Yeo-jin, anchor Jang Won-seok
■ Starring: Cho Eun-ji, sports reporter

* The text below may differ from the actual broadcast content, so please check the broadcast for more accurate information. Please specify [YTN News PLUS] when quoting.

[Anchor]
Despite cold public opinion and internal opposition from the organization, Lee Ki-heung, president of the Korea Sports Association, and Chung Mong-kyu, president of the Korea Football Association, expressed their intention to seek a second term, drawing attention to the background.

[Anchor]
Let's take a look at the strong willingness of the sports chairmen to serve consecutive terms, for some reason, and reporter Cho Eun-ji of the Ministry of Sports. Welcome.

[Anchor]
It was last Friday. Chairman Chung Mong-gyu mentioned the challenge for the fourth term, but we will talk about it after hearing the contents first.

[Jung Mong-gyu / President of the Korea Football Association: There are many procedures to go forward, so when the procedures are organized, I will organize them again later and tell you. My family and close friends were very worried. (Still) I thought I had to finish well, so I decided to challenge myself. ]

[Anchor]
When you officially announced your intention to run for the Korea Football Association today, you automatically went into suspension, right?

[Reporter]
The first question was to ask why it came out, but if it comes out, it has no choice but to come out because you are elected. There are a lot of criticisms right now, and you talked about the cold fan sentiment and public opinion, but I decided to run because I would be elected if I came out. I think this is the clearest explanation. First of all, the reason why Chairman Chung Mong-gyu expressed his intention to run is that I can't leave because I'm branded like this, how much I've done so far. I'll take what I sprinkle, and I'll mark the end.

In such a large way, it can be seen that the will to restore honor is very strong. In fact, my family and close friends were very worried about me. He said this himself. In fact, the family, especially the old mother, said not to go out, so she dissuaded her from going out a lot. Nevertheless, it is said that the persuasion and requests of soccer players continued.

That was crucial, but the heads of organizations affiliated with the Korea Football Association and the heads of the provincial and provincial associations eat and who else is the chairman? It is said that there was an atmosphere of encouraging him to run until the end and to fulfill his duties. In fact, the Cheonan Football Center is considered the most decisive.

Paju FC is now moving to Cheonan, which has increased construction costs and labor costs more than initially planned, resulting in more than 30 billion more construction costs than previously expected. But can other candidates afford this? Can candidate Huh Jung-moo afford it? In particular, there were many doubts about the financial aspect.

You said earlier that public opinion was cold, but in fact, I don't think there was anyone in the soccer field who thought Chairman Chung Mong-gyu would not be in the fourth term.

[Anchor]
Who's going to pick? Who has the right to vote?

[Reporter]
Footballers will do it. So, leaders, referees, clubs, soccer players, etc. may not be able to do this if the general public votes, as you said, but footballers have a wide range of contacts that they have built up over a long period of time, so I think I will think that if Chairman Chung Mong-gyu comes out, I will definitely be the one.

[Anchor]
Can I recover my reputation? How do you rate it to restore your reputation?

[Reporter]
Compared to what I've done, I heard that he is being criticized too much by public opinion. So, don't you think modern artists have a sense of calling for soccer and our family business? There is no disconnect in the
range. I'll do as much as I can. It is said that this will is strong.

[Anchor]
You need to get approval in advance to serve four consecutive terms. What kind of process does it go through?

[Reporter]
So I think it would be good to say that you took the first step to run for the fourth term if you don't say that you're going to the fourth term. Chung Mong-gyu, the third-term chairman, will serve until January 21 next year. But 50 days before this date, if I'm going to the next election, I have to express my intention to go.

The 50th day is today. Today, Chairman Chung Mong-gyu submitted a statement of intention to register as a candidate to the Korea Football Association. So, as of today, his job was suspended, and the soccer association was rolled up under the acting system of Vice Chairman Kim Jung-bae. At the same time, I have to submit a second-term examination to the Korea Football Association.

What this is is that each chairman can only be re-elected until the second term, and from the third term, they are qualified to be re-elected or to be re-elected through screening. But that goes through the Sports Fair Committee, and if you look here, there are qualitative and quantitative evaluations. Can you show me a different graphic?

In the case of Chairman Chung Mong-gyu, he is an executive member of the Asian Football Confederation. I expect a safe passage. This is sincerity and quantity. I have a track record of executives from international organizations, and I'm currently a member of the AFC executive committee, so I'm going to get that score and go in. So when we think about it vaguely, soccer fans criticize a lot and try to pardon match fixing, and this is about ethics and integrity.

Even if you get 0 points, you get 60 points. I thought that the score of 60 would probably exceed it without difficulty, and Lee Ki-heung, chairman of the Korea Sports Council, was also reviewed according to the same regulations, but even then, it exceeded enough without difficulty. The Sports Association's majority opinion is that Chung Mong-gyu, the president of the Korea Football Association, who has a little more financial contribution or strength in other aspects, will be eligible for a second term without difficulty.

[Anchor]
If you get more than 60 points, you will pass. How many points did you get in the 3rd round?

[Reporter]
At that time, I got 96 points.

[Anchor]
It's almost perfect.

[Reporter]
At that time, there was no criticism, and it was almost bloodless. Because he was the sole candidate, it was said that he was in an atmosphere of standing and standing. This time, I came out with someone to fight and compete with candidate Heo Jung-moo, and it's been 12 years since I started the primary. That's why Chairman Chung Mong-gyu likes it more.

Rather than just coming out alone and bloodless, I competed against someone and fought against candidates that others wanted, so I won the votes of footballers. They seem to like it more because they can secure some of this justification.

[Anchor]
As you said, former national soccer team coach Huh Jung-moo announced his candidacy, so it's a two-way match, but isn't former coach Huh Jung-moo better in terms of popularity?

[Reporter]
As I said earlier, the public opinion and who the person is picking is different among the public, the soccer players, and the soccer players. So, the president of each federation and each game organization will be selected by voting by voters, and that's soccer people. So, referees, players, leaders, clubs, and people who join the provincial football association are randomly selected and voted for them.

Then, while leading the administration of the Korea Football Association, Chairman Chung Mong-gyu went to many regions and went to all the big and small competitions, and they had all the contacts. And I don't want to describe it as a community of interests, but I think they can judge that it is a little advantageous for them to go with the existing people rather than for new people to come and build something.

[Anchor]
Candidate Heo Jung-moo, the challenger, what are the pros and cons? in running for president

[Reporter]
Should I be campaigning? So I was the coach of the national soccer team. He also had various administrative experiences, and he had the strength of reaching the round of 16 for the first time in Korea's away World Cup history, and he is highly recognized. However, from the perspective of soccer players, will it be possible to attract financial resources? There are a lot of people who have question marks about this part.

[Anchor]
The cost of running the association was huge.

[Reporter]
Rather than operating the association, the football association's budget is about 190 billion won a year, and most of them are from A-match or sponsors, and since some contribution is needed, it is true that Chairman Huh Jung-moo has such a view. I think you can understand that there is a little gap with public opinion.

[Anchor]
By the way, didn't the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism demand heavy punishment from Chairman Chung Mong-gyu when it disclosed the results of the Korea Football Association's audit Can't this be a variable?

[Reporter]
I don't think that's going to be a variable. Because when the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism asked for disciplinary action, it said that there were 27 cases of illegality and unfairness in the process of appointing the director, and demanded Chung Mong-gyu's severe disciplinary action. The announcement was made on November 5th.

But if there is an objection here, they told us to request a retrial within a month if we saw it wrong. That's until the day after tomorrow. It's until December 4th, and by then, the Korea Football Association has to send an official letter to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. We will reconsider, we are unjust, please take a look again. Then the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism should look at it again and see if they really have objections. So look into it again and maybe dismiss it, keep the heavy punishment as it is. Even if you give it to me, the Korea Football Association has to hold a sports fair committee to discuss how this disciplinary action should be taken from there.

That's why I got disciplinary action, just in case. Then after that, you have to hold another convocation meeting and tap the board to see if their disciplinary action is correct. If you do that, it will last a month. So if disciplinary action is taken, Chairman Chung Mong-gyu or I can appeal again, saying this is unfair.

Then, the next election will be on January 8th next year, so wouldn't it be difficult to come out before that? There are many such prospects.

[Anchor]
However, along with Lee Ki-heung, chairman of the Korea Sports Association, Chung Mong-gyu, president of the Korea Football Association, was also called to the parliamentary audit and received a lot of criticism, right? That's why one entrepreneur said this. Why should chaebol suffer such humiliation? Is the president of the Korea Football Association that important? They ask questions like this.

[Reporter]
I keep telling you, I think soccer is like a family business in the modern world. There are also four men's and women's clubs running, and they're coming out there, but they've been beaten to the point where it's been almost a humiliation for a long time, but that has rather encouraged them to run. Because am I supposed to be subjected to this anguish, humiliation, and humiliation? There's something I've been doing. There's something that our modern man has done. This is so unfair.

I want to let you know my sincerity a little more. And whether it's Cheonan Football Center or not, I think that if we finish it well, we will eventually know the authenticity.

[Anchor]
Another controversial figure is Lee Ki-heung, chairman of the Korea Sports Council. He seems to have decided to seek his third term. The prosecution has raided the athletes' village and the training center. What kind of suspicion is this?

[Reporter]
There were many charges yesterday, so I came out the day before yesterday, and I thought I was a police officer, but I was a prosecutor. A lot of different places are investigating right now. The Dongbu District Prosecutors' Office is suspected of collusion between the sports association and the company regarding the service of the athletes' village facilities. The Ministry of Strategy and Finance discovered that about 7 billion won was suspicious while examining whether subsidies were illegally received.

In February this year. With that, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism requested an investigation in May. The Eastern District Prosecutors' Office raided it last week. But what I was mistaken about was that apart from this, the organization under the Prime Minister's Office audited the sports meeting. So, I caught it on various charges of misconduct such as fraudulent hiring, bribery, embezzlement, and breach of trust.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism requested the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to investigate it. That's why Lee Ki-heung, chairman of the Korea Sports Council, has been suspended. Currently, both the prosecution and the police have drawn knives. Apart from this, the Board of Audit and Inspection also announced last week that it would begin a specific audit, so we will have to wait and see what charges will be added and how.

[Anchor]
Once again, Chairman Chung Mong-gyu and Chairman Lee Ki-heung are receiving a lot of public criticism, and the reason why they are serving consecutive terms is that they enjoy many things.

[Reporter]
There's a lot. There's a lot. First of all, it would be great for you to really like money, honor, influence, and sports. First of all, they are called sports presidents and soccer presidents. As I said earlier, the sports association spends 440 billion won a year when it comes to money. The Football Association can sleep 190 billion won.

With this money, you will be in charge of the city and provincial sports associations and sports organizations below. There's money here. They don't receive it as a salary, but they have the power and influence to manage money. Secondly, it's an honor, but if you look at Lee Ki-heung, he became an IOC member as the chairman of the sports committee. If you do this, you will be treated like a state guest.

Passports also come out separately. So, when you go to a hotel, the hotel you stay in will have a Korean flag, and you will also have the influence to exercise your right to speak on international sports issues, such as cars, protocol, and interpretation. In the case of Chairman Chung Mong-gyu, he is an executive member of the AFC Asian Football Federation, and his dream is to become an executive member of FIFA.

So I think I'm trying a little more for that part and I'm doing business. Since I'm the chairman of Hyundai Industrial Development, I can look at other overseas networks in real estate, architecture, and civil engineering. I think I have some of these strengths. Above all, Chairman Chung Mong-gyu really likes soccer.

When I watch the Premier League with my son all night, not only big and small stadiums and A matches, but also watching it, soccer players said that they really want to breathe in the soccer field.

[Anchor]
I see. But I heard that these chairmen are in a position to serve a second term.

[Reporter]
Once you're down, you'll be down. Because even if you don't run now, there's no benefit. There's no way out. Already, Chairman Lee Ki-heung is under investigation in several places, and just because I don't run doesn't mean this investigation won't proceed. Since the investigation is going on, one way or the other, I need to be elected and have a little strength and a little bit of a foot in order to survive this. That's what I think.

[Anchor]
Jin Jong-oh, a member of the People's Power Party, sent a letter to the IOC saying that he opposes the second term of Chairman Lee Ki-heung, but he said there is no real way to prevent this.

[Reporter]
In the case of Chairman Lee Ki-heung, he passed the Sports Public Administration Committee. It also has the right to run for election. And in this context, you can't stop serving three consecutive terms, you can't ignore the premium of active duty. Lee Ki-heung, chairman of the sports association, first appeared in the sports world in 2001.

At that time, he first joined the Korean Modern pentathlon Federation as an adviser, and the canoe federation, the swimming federation, and the chairman of the sports association have been influential in the sports world for nearly 20 years. I don't know if you remember the controversy over the observers at the Paris Olympics, but there are those connections that I've built up a lot of my close friends, and I've managed for a long time, and I have strong friends like the chairman of the provincial sports committee and the Gyeonggi Association.

All of these people vote one by one. Therefore, even if you send an official letter to the IOC for three consecutive terms, the sports community's view is that the election is likely for now. What's the sentiment of sportsmen is that they criticize me like this, but why are they coming out? There is something like this, but sports people are against the government's pressure on us in all directions.

So, when the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced the results of the audit, they even interfered with things like going out to Jinchon Training Center and staying out. Then we're all sportsmen and we're trying hard, but there's a lot of antipathy about whether we're criminals. Chairman Lee Ki-heung is digging into this part very well. I'm aiming for the reflective benefits of that part. There's this part, too.

[Anchor]
There are seven people who are running against Chairman Lee Ki-heung's system.

[Reporter]
So far, but it may increase further.

[Anchor]
Then, is it a one-to-one composition now? What's the composition like now?

[Reporter]
It's all one. Lee Ki-heung and Ban Ki-heung are in a state like this. First of all, as I told you about the active premium, it's not easy to win even if it's 1:1. Because there's a fixed ticket. But it's even harder to win if everyone gets together like this. So, if you look at it now, Park Chang-beom, former president of the Wushu Association, went on a hunger strike, saying, "Don't run for chairman Lee Ki-heung."

But today marks the 11th day, so I was taken to the hospital. It's coming out right now. But there are two things he claims. First of all, don't try to serve as chairman Lee Ki-heung for three consecutive terms. One is that the opposition must be unified, and these two flags are presented. In fact, unification is the same for political and election campaigns, but it should be unified. I'm crying out, but I have to unify myself. It's this.

Therefore, since each of the seven candidates has different interests, the question remains as to whether this can be coordinated.

[Anchor]
The president of the Korea Football Association seems to have a retirement age, but there seems to be no president of the Korea Sports Association right now. Seventy-five and 78 years old also tried.

[Reporter]
That's what happened.

[Anchor]
But isn't Chairman Lee Ki-heung going to reach the retirement age of 70 for IOC members next year? In this case, how can we aim for an exception rule that will extend the term of office by four years for a maximum of five people if they succeed in the third term? Will the IOC's term be extended?

[Reporter]
The reason why the Sports Fair Committee passed Lee Ki-heung's second term is because he is an IOC member. However, as an IOC member, if I quit as an IOC member next year when I turn 70 years old, there is no reason to continue this. So what comes first, I think it's the difference in order.

[Anchor]
Now, the IOC and FIFA are also paying attention to the involvement of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. It's a violation of autonomy. Wouldn't it backfire?

[Reporter]
I think they both really look alike. Lee Ki-heung and Jeong Mong-gyu really look alike, but I asked the IOC and asked FIFA. We asked them to take a good look at us, but the fact is that the associations and international federations respect the autonomy of the sports community, but I don't think it's very likely that they should intervene in our work and protect it.

In particular, in the case of Chairman Lee Ki-heung, there is little possibility of actively intervening and saying this because he is involved in misconduct and criminal charges.

[Anchor]
So far, I've talked with Sports Ministry reporter Cho Eun-ji. Thank you.