Court Grants Suspension of Disciplinary Action Against KFA President Chung Mong-kyu

On February 11, the Seoul Administrative Court accepted the Korea Football Association's (KFA) request to suspend the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's (MCST) demand for severe disciplinary action against its president, Chung Mong-kyu. The court's Administrative Division 5, presided over by Judge Kim Soon-yeol, ruled in favor of the KFA's request regarding the specific audit results and action demands from the MCST. As a result, the enforcement of the MCST's audit findings will be halted until 30 days after the final ruling in the main lawsuit. The court acknowledged the urgent need to prevent irreparable harm to the applicant, stating that it did not find significant public interest concerns that would arise from the suspension. In November of last year, the MCST announced the results of its audit, recommending severe penalties, including suspension of qualifications, for Chung and other key figures. The KFA contested this decision and filed a lawsuit on January 21, seeking to annul the MCST's ruling and requesting a suspension of its enforcement. With the KFA deferring any judgment on Chung's disciplinary status until the court's final decision, he has declared his candidacy for the upcoming presidential election scheduled for this month. According to KFA regulations, individuals who receive severe disciplinary actions, such as suspension, are ineligible to serve as KFA executives. The KFA presidential election is set to take place on February 26, having been postponed twice from its original date of February 8 due to a request for an injunction against the election by former national team coach Huh Jung-moo and the resignation of all members of the election committee.