As the 2026 North American World Cup is underway, a shocking document has surfaced from behind the scenes of Korean football. It has been confirmed through internal documents that Jung Mong-kyu, former chairman of the Korea Football Association, donated 4.8 billion won to the football association through an HDC Group affiliate he leads ahead of his fourth consecutive reelection.
According to an internal legal review report from the Korea Football Association obtained by Rep. Jin Sun-mi's office of the Democratic Party on the 23rd, HDC and HDC Hyundai Industrial Development signed an official partnership contract with the Football Association on June 1, 2024. The contract period is a total of 4 years until May 31, 2028, and the sponsorship of 4.8 billion won is to be paid in eight installments. The Football Association did not disclose the specific sponsorship amount at the time of the contract announcement, and this is the first time an HDC affiliate has entered into an official partnership agreement with the association.
What draws attention is the timing of the contract. The contract was signed in June 2024, just eight months before Chairman Jung's third term ended. Chairman Jung subsequently won his fourth consecutive reelection with an overwhelming 85.7% vote share in the Football Association chairman election in February 2025. This 4.8 billion won is the largest single-transaction amount Chairman Jung has ever provided through HDC. Previously, Chairman Jung had contributed a total of approximately 7.5 billion won, including 500 million won in 2014, 1 billion won in 2017, and 2 billion won each in 2018, 2019, and 2023.
According to the regulations of sports organizations under the Korean Sports Council, chairman election candidates are restricted from making donations and sponsorships to prevent vote buying. However, incumbent chairmen are exceptionally allowed to secure association finances. Although it is not a violation of regulations, criticism is intensifying primarily from the political circles as the timing coincides with the election being imminent.
Chairman Jung expressed his intention to resign before the opening of the 2026 North American World Cup and officially stepped down from his position as chairman of the Korea Football Association earlier this month. The association is currently operating under the acting leadership of Vice Chairman Lee Yong-soo, and the K-Football Innovation Committee is seeking a new start by extending the deadline for selecting the next chairman. Even amid World Cup fervor, the true nature of Korean football administration has come under scrutiny once again.
