Jung Mong-gyu, former chairman of the Korea Football Association, answers lawmakers' questions at a National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee hearing on KFA affairs on Thursday. [Yonhap]
Jung Mong-gyu, former chairman of the Korea Football Association, answers lawmakers' questions at a National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee hearing on KFA affairs on Thursday. [Yonhap]

Jung Mong-gyu, the former chairman of the Korea Football Association, admitted Thursday that he has yet to fulfill a campaign pledge to donate 5 billion won ($3.45 million) that he made last year in a bid for a fourth consecutive term.

Jung made the admission at a National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee hearing, where Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Noh Jong-myeon asked whether he had made the donation before stepping down this year. Jung initially responded with "What do you mean?" before conceding he had not.

Noh said he had obtained from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism a record of donations received by the KFA last year, and that Jung's contribution showed as zero. "The issue is not that former Chairman Jung donated nothing," Noh said. "As the whole country knows, he pledged to donate 5 billion won when he ran for a fourth term."

Jung had put forward the pledge during last year's election for the 55th KFA chairman, promising to donate 5 billion won toward the completion of a national football center. From the time he announced his candidacy, he had expressed his commitment to taking responsibility for completing the center as a platform for developing the football industry.

The KFA opened a 61.5 billion won line of credit in February 2024 to raise funds for construction of the football center, drawing about 800 million won in loans through the end of July that year.

When Noh pressed him on the 5 billion won pledge, Jung said, "Before we get to the 5 billion won donation, there was the 3 billion won, 3 billion won this time … "

Noh asked again: "Can't you just confirm whether you made the donation or not?"

Jung still did not give a direct answer, saying only, "Depending on the results … " before trailing off.

Jung had separately pledged, apart from any bonuses paid out of the KFA's budget, to personally donate 1 billion won if the national team reached the round of 32 at the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, 2 billion won for the round of 16, and 3 billion won for the quarterfinals. Those pledges became moot after the team failed to advance past the group stage.

When Noh finally asked, "I have so many questions. Did you not make the donation?" Jung replied, "I have not done it yet."


yeonjoo7@heraldcorp.com