Vice Minister Kim Daehyun Says "No Issues Expected with FIFA's On-Site Inspection of Football Association"

Daehyun Kim, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, commented on FIFA's on-site inspection of the Korea Football Association (KFA) and stated, "There should be no significant issues."

During a pre-briefing for the 2nd National Sports Policy Committee meeting held at Government Complex Seoul on September 2, Kim said, "The K-Football Innovation Committee serves as an advisory body, so it has no authority to enforce or regulate," clarifying the matter.

Daehyun Kim, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The Innovation Committee is a temporary body launched under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism last July to discuss reform measures after South Korea was eliminated in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup North and Central America. FIFA committee member Park Jisung and Korea Sports Council President Ryu Seungmin are serving as co-chairs, currently leading the reform of the KFA presidential election system, and are also discussing measures to nurture youth players and secure the future of Korean football.

The Korea Football Association is a member organization of FIFA. After the Innovation Committee began its formal activities, FIFA requested related documents from the government. The intent was to review whether the committee's activities infringed on the independence and autonomy of the KFA. On August 21, FIFA sent an official letter to the association together with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), requesting information about the committee's activities and conveyed its intention to conduct an on-site inspection during a visit to South Korea.

Kim remarked, "From the launch of the Innovation Committee, there was a consensus that we should not give FIFA any grounds to raise objections to the committee's activities," adding, "Co-chair Park Jisung also shared his opinion on this matter." Kim further explained that Minister Choi Hwee-young stepped down as co-chair on the day of the committee's launch specifically to demonstrate that the Innovation Committee would operate through autonomous discussions within the sports community, thereby preemptively preventing potential friction with FIFA.

Kim emphasized, "FIFA has enacted extreme measures such as dissolving a federation only in the most severe of past disciplinary cases in other countries," and stated, "With regard to the current activities of the Innovation Committee, there should be nothing for FIFA to object to."

Meanwhile, FIFA announced on the same day that it would postpone its on-site inspection of the association due to internal circumstances. The association reported on September 2, "We received notification from FIFA yesterday that, due to internal matters, the visit by the inspection team will be delayed."

Initially, three FIFA officials were scheduled to visit South Korea during the second week of September for a three-day, two-night inspection of the KFA.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.