Jeong Mong-gyu's HDC Group paid W4.8b to Korea Football Association ahead of fourth-term bid

Documents have confirmed that Jeong Mong-gyu, the former Korea Football Association president who announced his resignation before the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, channeled 4.8 billion won ($3.24 million) in sponsorship funds to the association through HDC Group affiliates ahead of a past election bid.

According to an internal legal review report obtained by the office of Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Jin Seon-mi, HDC and Hyundai Development Co signed an official partnership agreement with the Korea Football Association on June 1, 2024.

The contract runs through May 31, 2028 — a total of four years — with the 4.8 billion won to be paid in eight installments.

The association did not disclose the specific sponsorship amount when the partnership was announced, and it was the first time HDC and Hyundai Development Co had entered into an official partner agreement with the association.

The 4.8 billion won represents the largest single sponsorship Jeong has directed to the association through HDC.

Earlier, Jeong had contributed a total of approximately 7.5 billion won through HDC — 500 million won in 2014, 1 billion won in 2017, and 2 billion won each in 2018, 2019 and 2023.

Under standard rules, candidates running for the presidency of sports federations affiliated with the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee are barred from making donations or providing sponsorship to prevent vote-buying. Incumbent presidents, however, are permitted to offer sponsorship on an exceptional basis to help their associations secure stable funding.

While the arrangement does not constitute a rules violation, the timing of the contract has drawn criticism from political circles and others.

The contract was signed in June 2024, eight months before the end of Jeong's third term.

Jeong won the Korea Football Association presidential election in February 2025 with 85.7 percent of the vote, securing a fourth consecutive term, but stepped down earlier this month amid controversy over national team management and coaching appointments surrounding the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, as well as the team's poor results at the tournament.

Jin's office said the sponsorship deal bore the hallmarks of a calculated move to lay the groundwork for a fourth-term bid before his term expired.

Jin's office raised sharp questions about the circumstances surrounding the contract, noting that the 4.8 billion won deal was struck near the end of Jeong's third term and saying it appeared to be a deliberate step taken in preparation for a fourth-term run. Even if financial sponsorship falls within what the rules allow, the office said the scale of the contract and its proximity to the election schedule made controversy unavoidable.