Park Ji-sung: “The controversy over the appointment of the national team coach is sad and devastating… Chung Mong-kyu needs to make a decision” | Dong-A Ilbo

“Trust in the association has declined… The association may know the truth.”
“It’s clear that Chairman Chung Mong-kyu is in a situation where he has to make his own choice.”

Former national football player Park Ji-sung expressed dissatisfaction with the controversy surrounding the appointment of the national team coach and cautiously supported public opinion calling for the resignation of Chung Mong-kyu, chairman of the Korea Football Association.

Park Ji-sung met with reporters after a cultural event at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul on the 12th and expressed his feelings about the controversy surrounding the Korea Football Association and the appointment of the national team coach. “It is unfortunate and sad that it can only end like this.”

Asked whether the bigger issue in the current situation was process or outcome, he responded: “The saddest thing is there is no clear answer.”

Park Ji-sung explained: “Korean football changed a lot because of the 2002 World Cup, and people expected it to continue to change a lot in the future, but the answer to the question of what has changed since then is that the current situation is so devastating that it is hard to describe.”

He continued, “I also recognize that I can’t walk away from this responsibility,” adding, “A lot of people need to talk clearly about why this happened.”

Regarding the selection process of director Hong Myung-bo, he said, “I am not an insider, so I don’t know the details of the situation,” and “I think insiders will know the truth.”

However, he argued that “we cannot move forward if the situation we are currently facing is not resolved,” adding that “if we cannot turn back, we need to find answers on how to move forward.”

When asked how to find the answer, he said: “The ultimate answer is the truth” and “Shouldn’t (the Football Association) move forward by telling the truth?”

However, he also said, “People’s trust in the Korean Football Association has declined, and even if the truth is told, many people will not believe it,” and “It will take a long time for the Korean Football Association to regain trust.”

Regarding fans’ demands for Chairman Chung Mong-kyu to resign, he said, “It is quite difficult,” but responded, “Obviously, Chairman Chung Mong-kyu must make his own choice.”

“The current situation is definitely a big shock to the association,” Park said, adding, “I think we are in a situation where we have to build from scratch.”

“Since there are no regulations, I don’t know how far we can go under external pressure,” he said, but added, “If (Chairman Chung’s resignation) is the answer to rebuilding trust in the association in the long term,” “there is no room,” he said, expressing his views on the necessity of the resignation.

In addition, regarding director Hong Myung-bo, who has also received a lot of criticism, he said, “This is the first time I have encountered such a situation, and the problem is too big,” and “Indeed, I am worried about how I can overcome it.”

Finally, Park Ji-sung expressed his regret, saying, “The appointment of a domestic coach must be an embarrassing situation for the juniors,” and “As a senior, I feel very sorry for the juniors.”

(Seoul = Newsis)