SEOUL: South Korean football president Chung Mong-gyu will run for a seat on FIFA’s main decision-making body for the second time.

The Korea Football Association said Chung has submitted his candidacy for a seat on the FIFA Council last Thursday to the Asian Football Confederation. The 55-year-old came up short in the 2015 election.

FIFA Council, which replaced the FIFA executive committee last year, has 37 members, with 12 newly created seats allocated to six confederations.

The AFC, which was given three additional seats, originally planned to hold the election in last September to select the members but scrapped the vote in a row over the ineligibiliy of a Qatari candidate.

Postponing the election costly because it meant the AFC was under-represented at subseqent FIFA Council meetings which decided on the shape of future World Cups.

Chung had registered as a candidate for the September election but pulled out in July after he was named chef de mission for South Korea at the Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics. He cited the need to focus on leading South Korean athletes at the Olympics.

The KFA said Chung decided to take a second crack at winning a seat on the FIFA Council because there are now four seats available to Asia, with Olympic Council of Asia President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah’s term as FIFA Council member ending before May.

Chung said: “Because of the election postponement, I’ve got an opportunity to run for the seat again. I will meet with various football officials in Asia and explain my vision and sincerity for the development of football.”

Under the election rule, at least one of the four AFC seats on FIFA Council must be filled by a woman, meaning Chung must finish in the top three among male candidates.

Chung, chairman of construction giant Hyundai Development Co., is a veteran sports administrator. He has been at the helm of the KFA since 2013.

Previously, he was the commissioner of the K League, which operates domestic professional football competitions.

Chung is also a member of the AFC Executive Committee and is a younger cousin of former FIFA vice-president Chung Mong-joon, who previously served as FIFA executive committee member from 1994 to 2011.

However, as if to hedge his bets he is also standing for AFC vice-presidency (East) to replace China’s Zhang Jilong for the remaining term of 2015-2019.

The candidates who have submitted their candidatures to contest the election at the AFC Congress on May 8 in Bahrain are:

FIFA Council Member (3 positions):

1. Zhang Jian (China PR);

2. Mong Gyu Chung (Korea Republic)
3. Sheikh Ahmad Fahad Al-Sabah (Kuwait);
4. Mariano V. Araneta Jr. (Philippines)

FIFA Council Member (female, 1 position):

1. Moya Dodd (Australia)
2. Mahfuza Akhter (Bangladesh)
3. Han Un Gyong (DPR Korea)
4. Susan R. A. Alshalabi (Palestine)

The final and confirmed list of candidates will be published as soon as the eligibility checks have been conducted.

The AFC will also elect a new AFC Vice-President (East) to replace China’s Zhang Jilong for the remaining term of 2015-2019. One candidature has been received for this position:

AFC Vice President (East):
1. Mong Gyu Chung (Korea Republic)

#############