Kim Dae-hyun, the Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated that there will be no issues raised by FIFA regarding the Korea Football Association's on-site inspection and the activities of the K-Football Innovation Committee, which could be perceived as political interference.
During a pre-briefing for the National Sports Policy Committee held at the Government Seoul Complex on September 2, Kim addressed concerns about third-party interference with the Innovation Committee, saying, "We anticipated the possibility of political intervention controversies before the committee's launch and recognized that we should not provide any grounds for it."
The Innovation Committee, launched in July under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, was established in response to calls for reform within the football community following the poor performance of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup. Co-chaired by Park Ji-sung, a FIFA committee member, and Yoo Seung-min, president of the Korean Sports Council, the committee is tasked with addressing issues such as restructuring K-football governance, developing youth systems, and introducing advanced technologies to enhance future competitiveness.
However, as a government-led committee, there have been ongoing concerns that its activities could be seen as external interference in the administration of the Korea Football Association.
In fact, FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) sent a letter to the Korea Football Association on August 21, requesting information regarding the formation and activities of the Innovation Committee. The letter reportedly stated that if a third party unjustly interferes with the independence of the Korea Football Association, it could face disciplinary action under FIFA regulations.
Subsequently, a three-member investigation team, including the director of the FIFA member association secretariat, was scheduled to visit South Korea for a two-night, three-day on-site inspection in the second week of September. However, they informed the Korea Football Association that the visit would be postponed due to internal circumstances. Kim confirmed, "I understand that it has been postponed due to FIFA's internal circumstances."
Regarding the controversy over potential infringement on autonomy led by the government, Kim emphasized the advisory nature of the Innovation Committee, clearly delineating its role. He explained that the decision for Park and Yoo to co-chair the committee, instead of the initially planned Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young, was a measure to avoid unnecessary external pressure.
Kim stated, "The Innovation Committee is purely an advisory body. It has no authority to impose regulations or enforce compliance. Since it is a discussion body involving all relevant organizations, including the Korea Football Association, the Korean Sports Council, and the Korea Professional Football League, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is participating as one of the stakeholders."
He further highlighted the clear differences from past instances where FIFA imposed sanctions on member countries. Kim noted, "In the past, countries that faced FIFA sanctions experienced unimaginable situations, such as governments dismantling football associations. The mere participation of the Minister and Deputy Minister in the committee does not present a significant risk of FIFA raising issues or imposing sanctions."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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