[Yonhap Photo]
South Korean football chief Chung Mong-gyu has pulled out of the election for a seat on FIFA's main decision-making body, the sport's national federation said Tuesday.
Korea Football Association (KFA) President Chung has informed the international football governing body that he will no longer pursue a seat on the FIFA Council. Chung came up short in last year's FIFA election.
Chung was recently elected for his second term at the KFA, and is serving as chef de mission for South Korea at next month's Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics. The FIFA election is scheduled for Sept. 27, and the KFA said Chung decided to focus on the Olympics.
The KFA added Chung, a business executive and a veteran football administrator, may also be nominated as a vice president for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
Before leaving for Rio, Chung told reporters at Incheon International Airport that FIFA had asked for an explanation on a court fine from 10 years ago and that he didn't feel he'd have the time to do so during the Olympics.
Chung, chairman of the construction giant Hyundai Development Co., was indicted without physical detention in 1999 on charges of creating slush funds and was ordered in 2006 to pay 30 million won (US$26,370) in fines.
"I can give FIFA my explanation, but it will take a lot of effort to do so," Chung said. "And since this will overlap with the Olympics, I decided I wouldn't be able to concentrate on the Olympics if I took that route."
Chung, who will stay in Brazil for the duration of the Aug. 5-21 Olympics, said he could run for a FIFA Council seat next year or even in 2018, and the Olympics will be his priority this summer.
He added he may not be able to attend South Korea's first match in men's football, against Fiji in Salvador on Aug. 4, but he will try to catch at least one of the two remaining matches, against Germany in Salvador on Aug. 7 or against Mexico in Brasilia on Aug. 10.
The FIFA Council, which has replaced the FIFA Executive Committee, has 37 members, with seven seats allocated to the AFC. Three additional members will be selected at the upcoming election.
(Yonhap)
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com