Korea Football Association President Chung Mong-gyu [Yonhap]
Korea Football Association President Chung Mong-gyu [Yonhap]

By Jung Yoon-hee, The Herald Business

A court has accepted the Korea Football Association's request to suspend the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's heavy disciplinary order against President Chung Mong-gyu and others while the case proceeds to a second-instance review.

The Seoul High Court granted the KFA's application Friday to stay the ministry's audit findings and corrective action order, according to legal sources Saturday.

The court ruled that the effect of the ministry's November 2024 audit findings and corrective action order would be suspended until 30 days after the appellate court issues its ruling on the merits.

The court held a hearing Thursday and concluded that, based on the hearing and supporting materials submitted by the KFA, the ministry's audit findings and corrective action order risked causing irreparable harm to the association, and that there was an urgent need to suspend the order's effect to prevent such harm.

The court added that it found no evidence suggesting the stay would have a significant adverse impact on the public interest, and went on to say that was the basis for granting the application.

The ministry announced the results of its audit of the KFA in November 2024 and called for heavy disciplinary action — suspension of eligibility or harsher — against Chung and other key officials. After the ministry rejected the KFA's objection, the association filed an administrative lawsuit in January last year seeking to overturn the ministry's order and also applied for a stay of execution.

With the court granting the stay, Chung was able to seek a fourth consecutive term and won by an overwhelming margin in February last year. The Supreme Court upheld the stay in a final ruling in September last year.

However, the KFA lost the administrative lawsuit at the first instance in April last year. The Seoul Administrative Court found that the ministry's disciplinary order was neither unreasonable nor unlawful, ruling it fell within the ministry's discretionary authority.

The KFA then held a board meeting on May 6 and decided to appeal the first-instance ruling. As part of the appeal process, the association also filed the stay application.

Under the KFA's bylaws, the president cannot remain in office if handed a suspension of eligibility or a harsher disciplinary penalty.

However, Chung announced on May 29 that he would step down from the presidency once the 2026 World Cup concludes.


yuni@heraldcorp.com