Chung Mong-joon, the controlling shareholder of South Korea’s Hyundai group of companies has decided to “carefully consider” running for the FIFA presidency, following Blatter’s resignation.
Chung is a respected in the footballing community who led the Korea Football Association (KFA) from 1993 until 2009 and played a key role in South Korea’s successful bid for the 2002 World Cup.
“I will carefully consider running for the FIFA presidency,” Chung told reporters at the KFA headquarters. “I will make my decision after meeting with international football leaders and listening to their opinions.”
Chung is currently an honorary FIFA vice president, and called Blatter’s demise “disappointing and regrettable”, lamenting FIFA’s inability to reform by itself.
However, as a FIFA-sponsor, Hyundai Motors has been tellingly vocal – labelling the resignation of Blatter as president of football’s scandal-wracked governing body a “positive first step”.
Chung was ousted from his previous role as a member of FIFA’s executive committee in 2011 specifically for his outspoken critique of Blatter’s style of management.
Blatter resigned from his rekindled presidency just hours after the world found out that 14 senior FIFA executives were under investigation, and that the probe by US authorities extended to himself.
