South Korean businessman and politician, Chung Mong-joon, has formally launched his bid for the FIFA presidency.
Chung claimed he would only seek a single term in the belief he could reform football’s global governing body in his time, U.K.-based organisation, `SportBusiness’ said in a news dispatch on Monday.
Chung formerly served as a vice president of FIFA, having previously held the role of president of the Korea Football Association from 1993 until 2009.
He is also the controlling shareholder in Hyundai Heavy Industries Group, which is regarded as one of the biggest corporations in the world.
He was a key figure in securing co-hosting rights for his home country to the 2002 World Cup and has also been a South Korean lawmaker and presidential candidate.
Upon announcing his bid on Monday in the French capital, Paris, Chung used the opportunity to outline his concerns over the decision by Michel Platini, president of European football’s governing body UEFA, to also stand for the top job at FIFA.
Chung said that he believed Platini was too close to outgoing president Sepp Blatter.
“Michel Platini was a great football player, and he is my good friend. His problem is he does not seem to appreciate the seriousness of the corruption crisis at FIFA.
“Recently, Platini said Blatter is his enemy, but we know the relationship was like mentor and protégé, or father and son.”
Chung also said that if elected as president, he would only serve one, four-year term, as he believes he would be able to reform the body in that time.
“The real reason FIFA has become such a corrupt organisation is because the same person and his cronies have been running it for 40 years,” Chung said.
“If I’m elected, I will serve only one term, four years. I can change FIFA in four years.”
