View source for Korea Football Association

{{Short description|Governing body of football in South Korea}}
{{Distinguish|DPR Korea Football Association}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox football association
|Logo                  = Korea Football Association logo.svg
|Badge_size            = 145px
|Founded               = {{Start date and age|df=yes|19 September 1933}}
|Folded                = 
|Headquarters          = [[Cheonan]], [[South Chungcheong Province]]
|FIFA affiliation      = {{Start date and age|df=yes|21 May 1948}}
|Region                = [[Asian Football Confederation|AFC]]
|Region affiliation    = {{Start date and age|df=yes|21 May 1954}}
|Subregion             = [[East Asian Football Federation|EAFF]]
|Subregion affiliation = {{Start date and age|df=yes|28 May 2002}}
|President             = [[Chung Mong-gyu]]
|Vice-President        = [[#Members|5 officials]]
|Website               = {{URL|https://www.kfa.or.kr/|kfa.or.kr}}
|Upright=20}}
{{Infobox Korean name/auto|hangul=^대한_축구_협회|hanja=大韓蹴球協會}}

The '''Korea Football Association''' ({{Korean|hangul=대한축구협회}}) is the [[Sports governing body|governing body]] of [[Association football|football]] and [[futsal]] within [[South Korea]]. It sanctions professional, semi-professional and amateur football in South Korea. Founded in 1933, the governing body became affiliated with [[FIFA]] twenty years later in 1948, and the [[Asian Football Confederation]] in 1954.

==History==
In 1921, the first [[All Joseon Football Tournament]] was held, and in 1933, the Korea Football Association was organized (following the foundation of Joseon Referees' Association in 1928), which created a foundation to disseminate and develop the sport.<ref>{{cite web |title=The history and result of All Joseon Football Tournament |url=http://www.kfa.or.kr/kfa_history/result_list_014.asp |publisher=KFA |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120811060955/http://www.kfa.or.kr/kfa_history/result_list_014.asp |archive-date=11 August 2012|language=ko |website=KFA.or.kr}}</ref> Park Seung-bin was the first president of the KFA, charged with the task of promoting and spreading organised football in Korea.<ref name="Presidents">{{cite web |url=http://www.kfa.or.kr/eng_renew/kfa/kfa_02_1.asp |title=KFA former Presidents |publisher=KFA |website=KFA.or.kr |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101118093947/http://www.kfa.or.kr/eng_renew/kfa/kfa_02_1.asp |archive-date=18 November 2010}}</ref>

The Korea Football Association was reinstated in 1948, following the establishment of the [[South Korea|Republic of Korea]]. The KFA became a member of [[FIFA]], the international football governing body that same year. It later joined the [[Asian Football Confederation|AFC]] (Asian Football Confederation) in 1954.

==Members==
{{updated|10 June 2025}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.kfa.or.kr/kfa/?act=executive |script-title=ko:KFA 조직 - 임원명단 |publisher=Korea Football Association |language=ko |access-date=2021-07-10}}</ref>

*President: [[Chung Mong-gyu]] 
*Vice-presidents: [[Lee Yong-soo]], [[Park Hang-seo]], Shin Jeong-sik, [[Kim Byung-ji]], [[Shin Tae-yong]]
*General secretary: Jeon Han-jin
*Heads of departments
:Fairness: So Jin
:International: Jeon Han-jin
:Technical: [[Lee Jang-kwan]]
:Competition: [[Kim Hyun-tae]]
:Communication: Wi Won-seok
:Referee: Moon Jin-hee
:Ethics: Kim Yoon-ju
:Medical: Kim Gwang-jun
:Development: [[Hyun Young-min]]
*Administrative inspector: Jeong Tae-seok, Lee Tae-ho

==Presidents==
[[Shin Ki-jun]] was the president of the Joseon Referees' Association, but he is not officially recognised as the first president.<ref name="Presidents"/>

<div><li style=display:inline-table;>
{| class="wikitable"
! No.
! President
!Year
|-
| align="center" | 1
| [[Park Seung-bin]]
| 1933–1934
|-
| align="center" | 2
| [[Lyuh Woon-hyung]]
| 1934–1938
|-
| align="center" | 3
| {{ill|Ko Won-hoon|ko|고원훈}}
| 1938–1942
|-
| align="center" | 4
| Ko Won-hoon (2)
| 1942–1945
|-
| align="center" | 5
| {{ill|Ha Kyung-deok|ko|하경덕}}
| 1945–1947
|-
| align="center" | 6
| Ha Kyung-deok (2)
| 1947–1948
|-
| align="center" | 7
| [[Shin Ik-hee]]
|1948–1949
|-
| align="center" | 8
| {{ill|Hong Sung-ha|ko|홍성하}}
|1949
|-
| align="center" | 9
| [[Yun Bo-seon]]
|1949–1950
|-
| align="center" | 10
| Hong Sung-ha (2)
|1950–1952
|-
| align="center" | 11
| Hong Sung-ha (3)
|1952
|-
| align="center" | 12
| [[Chang Taek-sang]]
|1952–1954
|-
| align="center" | 13
| [[Lee Jong-lim]]
|1954–1955
|-
| align="center" | 14
| [[Hyun Jung-ju]]
|1955
|-
| align="center" | 15
| {{ill|Kim Myung-hak|ko|김명학 (1901년)}}
|1955–1956
|-
| align="center" | 16
| Kim Myung-hak (2)
|1956–1957
|-
| align="center" | 17
| [[Kim Yoon-ki]]
|1957–1959
|-
| align="center" | 18
| Kim Yoon-ki (2)
|1959–1960
|-
| align="center" | 19
| {{ill|Jang Ki-young|ko|장기영 (1916년)}}
|1960
|-
| align="center" | 20
| [[Jung Moon-ki]]
|1960–1961
|}
</li> <li style=display:inline-table>
{| class="wikitable"
! No.
! President
!Year
|-
| align="center" | 21
| Jang Ki-young (2)
|1961–1962
|-
| align="center" | 22
| Kim Yoon-ki (3)
|1962
|-
| align="center" | 23
| Jang Ki-young (3)
|1962–1963
|-
| align="center" | 24
| {{ill|Hwang Yeop|ko|황엽}}
|1963
|-
| align="center" | 25
| Kim Yoon-ki (4)
|1963–1964
|-
| align="center" | 26
| {{ill|Min Kwan-sik|ko|민관식}}
|1964
|-
| align="center" | 27
| [[Choi Chi-hwan]]
|1964–1967
|-
| align="center" | 28
| Choi Chi-hwan (2)
|1967–1968
|-
| align="center" | 29
| Choi Chi-hwan (3)
|1968–1969
|-
| align="center" | 30
| Choi Chi-hwan (4)
|1969–1970
|-
| align="center" | 31
| [[Jang Deok-jin]]
|1970–1972
|-
| align="center" | 32
| Jang Deok-jin (2)
|1972–1973
|-
| align="center" | 33
| [[Ko Tae-jin]]
|1973–1975
|-
| align="center" | 34
| Ko Tae-jin (2)
|1975
|-
| align="center" | 35
| [[Kim Yoon-ha]]
|1975–1977
|-
| align="center" | 36
| Kim Yoon-ha (2)
|1977–1978
|-
| align="center" | 37
| Kim Yoon-ha (3)
|1978
|-
| align="center" | 38
| {{ill|Park Joon-hong|ko|박준홍 (정치인)}}
|1978–1979
|-
| align="center" | 39
| [[Choi Soon-Young|Choi Soon-young]]
|1979–1980
|-
| align="center" | 40
| Choi Soon-young (2)
|1980–1983
|}
</li> <li style=display:inline-table>
{| class="wikitable"
! No.
! President
!Year
|-
| align="center" | 41
| Choi Soon-young (3)
|1983–1985
|-
| align="center" | 42
| Choi Soon-young (4)
|1985–1986
|-
| align="center" | 43
| Choi Soon-young (5)
|1986–1987
|-
| align="center" | 44
| [[Lee Jong-hwan]]
|1987–1988
|-
| align="center" | 45
| [[Kim Woo-jung]]
|1988–1989
|-
| align="center" | 46
| Kim Woo-jung (2)
|1989–1993
|-
| align="center" | 47
| [[Chung Mong-joon]]
|1993–1997
|-
| align="center" | 48
| Chung Mong-joon (2)
|1997–2001
|-
| align="center" | 49
| Chung Mong-joon (3)
|2001–2005
|-
| align="center" | 50
| Chung Mong-joon (4)
|2005–2009
|-
| align="center" | 51
| [[Cho Chung-yun]]
|2009–2013
|-
| align="center" | 52
| [[Chung Mong-gyu]]
|2013–2017
|-
| align="center" | 53
| Chung Mong-gyu (2)
|2017–2020
|-
| align="center" | 54
| Chung Mong-gyu (3)
|2021–2024
|-
| align="center" | 55
| Chung Mong-gyu (4)
| 2025–present
|}
</li></div>

==National teams==
Source:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.kfa.or.kr/national/?act=nt_man |title=National teams |publisher=Korea Football Association |language=ko |access-date=2021-09-12}}</ref>

===Men's teams===
*[[South Korea national football team]]
*[[South Korea national under-23 football team]]
*[[South Korea national under-20 football team]]
*[[South Korea national under-17 football team]]
*[[South Korea national under-14 football team]]
*[[South Korea national football B team]] (student)
*[[South Korea national futsal team]]

===Women's teams===
*[[South Korea women's national football team]]
*[[South Korea women's national under-20 football team]]
*[[South Korea women's national under-17 football team]]
*[[South Korea women's national under-14 football team]]
*[[South Korea women's national student football team]]

===Defunct team===
*[[South Korea national beach soccer team]]

==Competitions==
{{See also|{{CURRENTYEAR}} in South Korean football}}
{{updated|2025}}

===Current competitions===
{| class="wikitable"
! Competition
! Note
! Current champions
! Next season
|- 
| [[Korean FA Cup|Korea Cup]]
| National cup held since 1996.
| [[Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors]] ([[2025 Korea Cup|2025]])
| [[2026 Korea Cup]]
|- 
| [[K3 League]]
| Men's semi-professional league held since 2020.
| [[Gimhae FC]] ([[2025 K3 League|2025]])
| [[2026 K3 League]]
|- 
| [[K4 League]]
| Men's semi-professional league held since 2020.
| [[Dangjin Citizen FC|Dangjin Citizen]] ([[2025 K4 League|2025]])
| [[2026 K4 League]]
|- 
| [[WK League]]
| Women's semi-professional league held since 2009.
| [[Hwacheon KSPO WFC|Hwacheon KSPO]] ([[2025 WK League|2025]])
| [[2026 WK League]]
|- 
| [[U-League (association football)|U-League]]
| Universities' league held since 2008.
| [[Dankook University]] (2025)
| 2026 U-League
|}

===Defunct competitions===
* [[All Joseon Football Tournament]]: National cup held from 1938 to 1940. (Editions from 1921 to 1937 were held by [[Korean Sport & Olympic Committee|Joseon Sports Council]].)
* [[Korean National Football Championship]]: National cup held from 1946 to 2000.
* [[Korean President's Cup National Football Tournament|Korean President's Cup]]: Cup competition contested between semi-professional and amateur clubs from 1952 to 2009.
* [[Korea Cup]] (international): International competition annually held from 1971 to 1999.
* [[K League]]: Professional league held from 1983 to 1994. (Subsequent seasons have been held by K League Federation.)

==Awards==
{{Main article|KFA Awards}}

===Current awards===
*[[South Korean Footballer of the Year|Player of the Year]]
*Young Player of the Year
*Coach of the Year
*Goal of the Year
*Referee of the Year<ref name="2020KFA">{{cite web |url=https://www.kfa.or.kr/layer_popup/popup_live.php?act=news_tv_detail&idx=23016&div_code=news&check_url=bGF5ZXI=&lang=KOR |script-title=ko:손흥민-장슬기 올해의 선수 선정... 올해의 골은 조규성 |language=ko |publisher=KFA |date=15 December 2020 |access-date=15 December 2020}}</ref>
*Club of the Year<ref name="2020KFA"/>

===Defunct awards===
*Best XI
*Hall of Fame

==Controversies==
===Tolerance of match-fixing scandal (2023)===
The KFA tried to give pardons to 100 people formerly employed in football including [[2011 South Korean football match-fixing scandal|48 match-fixing participants]] on 28 March 2023. However, it rescinded the decision after facing strong objections from fans and sports journalists.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.chosun.com/sports/football/2023/03/31/WZCSHOHLLJAKDJXNR3CAF5NUQY/ |script-title=ko:100명 꼼수 사면한 축구협회… 비난 들끓자 사흘만에 철회 |publisher=[[The Chosun Ilbo]] |lang=ko |date=2023-03-31}}</ref> [[Lee Dong-gook]], [[Lee Young-pyo]] and [[Cho Won-hee]] were among the high-profile administrators who assumed responsibility and resigned from their positions.

===Selection of national team manager (2024)===
Between February and July 2024, the [[South Korea national football team|men's national team]] had no full-time manager after [[Jürgen Klinsmann]] was fired. Two domestic managers had been temporarily filling in during that period. Selection committee head [[Jung Hae-seong]] abruptly resigned just days before [[Ulsan HD FC|Ulsan HD]] manager [[Hong Myung-bo]] was announced as the new national team manager. As the appointment took place in the middle of the K League season, fans and sports journalists and pundits were highly critical while irate Ulsan fans started holding up banners saying "Get out!" directed at Hong and protested in front of the KFA's headquarters.<ref>{{cite news |script-title=ko:"나가" 울산 팬에 야유받은 홍명보 |url=https://www.chosun.com/sports/football/2024/07/11/AZOZ2HIBOZB3XLJBZ2LDJXBRCE/ |work=[[The Chosun Ilbo]] |date=11 July 2024 |language=ko}}</ref>

Selection committee member and football commentator [[Park Joo-ho]] was threatened with legal action by the KFA over a video he had uploaded on his YouTube channel on 8 July. He had been filming with fellow commentator Kim Hwan to discuss the KFA's lack of progress in selecting a new national team coach over the past five months and had reacted with surprise regarding the real-time news of Hong Myung-bo's appointment as the new manager. After that, he explained his reaction and further reiterated the fact he had no knowledge of the appointment despite being part of the committee responsible for the selection of coaches and his frustration with the disorganized nature of the selection process. The reaction was not edited out and the full video was uploaded, garnering several million views.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUgIWswh06o |script-title=ko:"국가대표 감독 선임 과정" 모두 말씀드립니다. |lang=ko |website=YouTube |first=Joo-ho |last=Park}}</ref> Park refused to retract his claims of cronyism and disorganized leadership at the very top of the KFA management hierarchy. [[Koo Ja-cheol]] was among the active players who publicly defended Park on his social media account.<ref>{{Cite Instagram |user=jc_koo13|last=Koo |first=Ja-cheol |postid=C9i4OzXym2T |script-title=ko:기사가 정말 오해의 소지가 있게 나왔다. |language=ko |date=18 July 2024}}</ref> Hong's [[2002 FIFA World Cup|2002 World Cup]] teammates [[Kim Nam-il]] and [[Ahn Jung-hwan]], who had been silent on the issue until then, both corroborated Park's claims and noted that it had been going since the 2002 World Cup.<ref>{{cite news |script-title=ko:"썩어빠진 축협 겁내지 말라"‥박주호 SNS에 응원 '우르르' |url=https://imnews.imbc.com/news/2024/society/article/6616640_36438.html |publisher=[[Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation|MBC]] |date=12 July 2024 |language=ko}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |script-title=ko:박주호·구자철 등 젊은 축구인들, 축구협회 비판하는 이유는? |url=https://www.chosun.com/sports/football/2024/07/19/3EM45DZ4N5BK7EILTN7OJKZF5U/ |work=[[The Chosun Ilbo]] |date=19 July 2024 |language=ko}}</ref>

After the massive public outcry from already disgruntled fans and more former players, the KFA stated that it would not pursue legal action against Park but the incident led to the [[Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (South Korea)|Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism]] (MCST) conducting an independent probe by the Sports Ethics Center and scheduling an inquiry.<ref>{{cite news |title=Top Korean football exec booked over controversial national team hire |url=https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-07-24/sports/football/Top-Korean-football-exec-booked-over-controversial-national-team-hire/2097610 |work=[[Korea JoongAng Daily]] |date=24 July 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Football or farce? Inside the Hong Myung-bo appointment saga. |url=https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-07-10/sports/football/Football-or-farce-Inside-the-Hong-Myungbo-appointment-saga/2087231 |work=[[Korea JoongAng Daily]] |date=10 July 2024}}</ref> Park eventually resigned from his position and joined football commentator [[Park Moon-sung]] in testifying before an inquiry at the [[National Assembly (South Korea)|National Assembly]] that September.<ref>{{cite news |script-title=ko:일어나 악수 건넨 '축구협회 저격수' 박주호, 홍명보 반응 봤더니 |url=https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/25280073 |work=[[JoongAng Ilbo]] |date=25 September 2024 |language=ko}}</ref> There were differences between MCST's findings and Park's contentions. The findings revealed that Hong and [[David Wagner (soccer)|David Wagner]] received the most votes from members of the selection committee including Park, and that the members agreed to give the final say to Jung Hae-seong.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.yna.co.kr/view/MYH20240913016500641 |script-title=ko:[단독] 홍명보·바그너 '최다 추천'…논란의 전강위 회의록 첫 공개 |lang=ko |publisher=Yonhap News Agency |date=2024-09-13 |access-date=2025-07-03}}</ref> On the contrary, the MCST pointed out that KFA president [[Chung Mong-gyu]]'s attempt to overturn Hong's appointment was the violation of procedure. Jung Hae-seong had recommended Hong to president Chung and immediately resigned from the committee after the president rejected the recommendation.<ref>{{cite news |script-title=ko:정해성 전 축구협회 전력강화위원장 "역할 여기까지라 봐 사퇴" |url=https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20240924084300007 |work=[[Yonhap News Agency]] |date=24 September 2024 |language=ko}}</ref> The president, who preferred foreign managers to domestic managers, arbitrarily authorized [[Lee Lim-saeng]] to negotiate with candidates, but Lee reached the same conclusion as Jung Hae-seong.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.khan.co.kr/article/202410021601001 |script-title=ko:문체부 “1순위 홍명보 먼저 만났다면 문제 없었을 것···계약 무효 판단 어려워” |lang=ko |publisher=Kyunghyang |date=2024-10-02 |access-date=2025-06-13}}</ref>

Nonetheless, public opinion of the KFA deteriorated further following revelations that the organization issued delayed responses to or failed to advocate for Europe-based players regarding the repeated racist abuse they received, with journalists and fans noting the stark contrast to the immediate and strongly-worded statement released in response to Park's YouTube video.<ref>{{cite news |script-title=ko:"황희찬 인종차별 논란, FIFA에 공식레터 발송" 축구협회, 트위터에만 슬그머니 설명 |url=https://isplus.com/article/view/isp202407180133 |work=Ilgan Sports |date=18 July 2024 |language=ko}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |script-title=ko:'KFA와 참 다르네?' 프랑스축구협회, "인종차별한 아르헨티나에 법적 고소" 선언 |url=https://www.chosun.com/sports/world-football/2024/07/17/BZSQ4XLBY53SWW4JS33APW2HNY/ |work=[[The Chosun Ilbo]] |date=17 July 2024 |language=ko}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[South Korea national football team]]
* [[K League]]
* [[Football in South Korea]]
* [[Women's football in South Korea]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.kfa.or.kr/ Official website] {{in lang|ko}}
* [https://inside.fifa.com/en/associations/KOR Korea Football Association] at [[FIFA]]
* [https://www.the-afc.com/en/east/korea_republic.html Korea Football Association] at [[Asian Football Confederation]]

{{South Korea national football team}}
{{Football in South Korea}}
{{Futsal in South Korea}}
{{Sports governing bodies in South Korea}}
{{AFC associations}}
{{EAFF football}}
{{KFA sponsors}}

[[Category:Korea Football Association| ]]
[[Category:Association football governing bodies in Asia|South Korea]]
[[Category:National members of the East Asian Football Federation|South Korea]]
[[Category:1933 establishments in Korea]]
[[Category:Organizations based in Korea under Japanese rule]]
[[Category:Sport in Korea under Japanese rule]]