September 11, 2015

Recently, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) sent to almost every AFC member association, form letters to be filled in by the National Football Association in support of the candidacy of Mr. Michel Platini. Furthermore, the Director and staff members of AFC’s Department of Member Associations and Development made private phone calls to individual member associations, checking to see whether they had sent in the completed form letters to FIFA.

On August 31, Dr. Chung Mong-Joon, FIFA Presidential Candidate, sent official letters of complaint to the Ad-hoc Electoral Committee and the Ethics Committee, with a copy of AFC’s form letter, pointing out that such activities clearly violate FIFA Statutes and Electoral Regulations and demanding an investigation and corrective measures. Dr. Chung revealed these facts at a press conference on September 3.

In a letter dated September 3, FIFA’s Ad-hoc Electoral Committee informed Dr. Chung that the committee judged AFC’s activities not to have violated any rules or regulations.

Coincidentally, on the same day, AFC released its own press statement, claiming that its distribution of the form letters did not violate any regulations.

A thorough review of the Ad-hoc Electoral Committee’s letter and AFC’s statement shows that the committee hastily concluded its inquiries into this critical incident in mere three days citing lack of evidence without an in-depth investigation of relevant persons involved. We object to this conclusion in the strongest possible terms.

Even though it has been verified that AFC systematically distributed form letters in support of Mr. Platini, the Ad-hoc Electoral Committee did not even look into the possibility of a coordination between AFC and Mr. Platini, arguing that the committee only has jurisdiction over presidential candidates’ activities and thus could not interfere in AFC’s activities. This is tantamount to voluntarily forfeiting the committee’s duty to ensure the fairness of the election for FIFA President.

For its part, the AFC’s press statement (1) did not even make reference to the form letters, a copy of which we provided, (2) did not deny that AFC sent the form letters and (3) did not deny that AFC as a regional Confederation campaigned for Mr. Platini.
As Dr. Chung already revealed during the September 3 press conference, a vice president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) circulated similar form letters to its member associations, but CAF deemed his behavior highly improper and took measures to rectify the situation.

CAF and AFC’s radically different responses to the same incident clearly show that the two confederations have fundamentally different
understanding of its seriousness. If the Ad-hoc Electoral Committee thinks that the AFC’s activities was not illegal, then CAF’s corrective measures constitute an obstruction of a legitimate campaign activity. In this case, FIFA should take disciplinary actions against CAF. If, however, CAF’s corrective measures are judged to be proper, AFC’s activities should be categorized as an electoral fraud and FIFA should take disciplinary actions against AFC and implement relevant measures to rectify the current situation. Instead, FIFA maintains the contradictory stance that both AFC and CAF’s actions are legitimate.

We believe that AFC sending form letters containing Mr. Platini’s initials, MP, to its member associations while urging support for Mr. Platini clearly violates FIFA Statutes and Electoral Regulations. Therefore, we urge the Ad-hoc Electoral Committee, once again, to promptly take the following three actions:

(1) Refer this case to the Investigatory Chamber of the Ethics Committee in accordance with FIFA Electoral Regulations,
(2) Conduct a thorough investigation to see if AFC President Sheikh Salman, UEFA President and FIFA Presidential Candidate Michel Platini, and officials at CAF and other Confederations plotted this incident together,
(3) Take immediate measures to nullify any “support” for the candidature of Platini received through the form letters sent by AFC, the Vice President of CAF and/or any other Confederation.

We would like to once again point out that the FIFA Ad-hoc Electoral Committee reaching a hasty conclusion without having conducted a thorough investigation of relevant facts and parties, will be regarded as being tantamount to covering up an election fraud and, thus once again, urge the committee to conduct a thorough investigation of this matter.

Mr. LIN Byung-taik
Spokesman for FIFA Presidential Candidate, Dr. MJ Chung

[보도자료] FIFA선관위 결정에 대한 입장(2015.09.11)

August 25, 2015

Whether or not the upcoming FIFA Presidential election takes place according to due process, fairness and openness will be the litmus test for whether or not genuine reform of FIFA will be possible. Only a fair and open election can resuscitate FIFA’s reputation which has been gravely undermined by scandals old and new.

Unfortunately, there are increasing signs that the election is deteriorating into a typical FIFA affair with selective leaks of so-called “confidential” information, accusations of wrong-doing based on “unconfirmed reports,” un-named “sources” and “insiders.” The recent press reports attacking Dr. Chung’s character and integrity are based on such unconfirmed, leaked sources and full of factual distortions.

To be clear, contrary to recent press reports based on FIFA leaks, Dr. Chung is not facing any criminal charges or allegations of bribery, fraud, corruption, vote buying or even a breach of “conflict of interest” under the FIFA Ethics Code from the Ethics Committee. Beyond that, Dr. Chung refrains from commenting on any possible Ethics Committee proceedings out of respect for confidentiality requests made by FIFA. However, by leaking information that could only have come from within FIFA, FIFA is violating its own rules and regulations that it imposes upon others. Indeed, the current election is in danger of being manipulated to a degree unseen even in previous notorious FIFA presidential elections.

This is not just a matter of who gets elected the next President of FIFA. It is a matter of what kind of FIFA will emerge out of this current crisis. Will it be the old corrupt FIFA shunned by fans, or will it be a new FIFA that can truly represent and raise to new heights our beautiful game? This is what hangs in the balance.

Mr. LIN Byung-taik
Spokesman for FIFA Presidential Candidate, Dr. MJ Chung

[보도자료] 정몽준 명예부회장 그 어떤 형사상의 혐의 받고 있지 않아(2015.08.25)

August 22, 2015

Recent media reports allege that the FIFA Ethics Committee is investigating FIFA Honorary Vice President Chung Mong-Joon for his letters to Executive Committee members explaining the Korea bid committee’s already-announced plan to raise US$ 777 million for the “Global Football Fund”. The October 2010 announcement made by Dr. Han Sung-joo, the chairman of the Korea bid committee in London, was widely reported by the mass media at the time. Dr. Chung’s letters were sent after this announcement.

The Global Football Fund was part of the “Football development” category for which all bidding nations were required to submit proposals. Many countries, including England and Qatar submitted plans for Football development just as big, if not bigger, than South Korea’s.

This is yet another clear proof that President Blatter is interfering in the upcoming FIFA presidential election, just as he has done in past elections.

With regard to this case, FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke sent separate letters in November 2010 to Dr. Chung and Dr. Han Sung-joo, informing them that the case would not be submitted to the FIFA Ethics Committee and that it was closed.

FIFA is engaged in a self-defeating attempt to sabotage Dr. Chung’s candidacy, following its recent attacks against UEFA President Michel Platini. President Blatter should stop intervening in the election and resign immediately.

FIFA should realize that it is because it continues to engage in such a reprehensible behavior, that it is unfavorably compared to Mafia by so many.

Mr. LIN Byung-taik
Spokesperson for FIFA Presidential Candidate, Dr. MJ Chung
Contact (82 10 5227 6824 / bytalin@naver.com)

[보도자료] 블래터 회장은 선거 개입 중단하고 즉각 사퇴하라(2015.08.22)

August 19, 2015

Recent media reports allege that FIFA has started an investigation into FIFA Honorary Vice President Dr. Chung Mong-Joon’s 2010 donations to disaster relief funds to Haiti and Pakistan. If these reports are true, we condemn this as a cynical and unethical effort by FIFA to misrepresent even charitable donations for political manipulation.

Since the 1990s, Dr. Chung has consistently provided charitable donations to those in need, both in Korea and overseas

In addition to providing disaster relief assistance to Haiti and Pakistan, Dr. Chung has made numerous personal charitable donations, starting with the 1999 Turkey earthquake relief, Bangladesh disaster relief, China earthquake relief and Myanmar cyclone relief funds.

As the chairman of the Asan Foundation, the largest philanthropic organization in Korea, Dr. Chung also helped the foundation provide medical assistance to victims of the Indonesian tsunami, 2005 Pakistani earthquake, and Sri Lankan tsunami.

In January 2010, as the chairman of the ruling Grand National Party in the Korean National Assembly, Dr. Chung also announced at a party meeting that he would personally donate money to earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.

In 2010, Dr. Chung founded the Asan Nanum (“sharing”) Foundation contributing $ 200 million towards a $ 600 million total endowment.

[보도자료] 아이티 파키스탄 지원 관련 보도자료 (2015.08.19)

I have known Mr. Sepp Blatter for more than 20 years. He is a smart man. He has built up FIFA into the richest and most powerful sports organization in the world.

However, to our great disappointment, FIFA has become one of the most distrusted organization in the world. I am afraid corruption in FIFA is systemic and deep-rooted. The history of corruption in FIFA coincides with Sepp Blatter’s tenure as the head of that organization.

It is clear that Mr. Blatter cannot reform FIFA. The only way to save football is for Mr. Blatter to step down. For the sake of the game we love so much, I urge Mr. Blatter to resign as soon as possible, irrespective of the election results.

2015. 5. 29
M. J. Chung
Honorary Vice President of FIFA

[보도자료] 블래터 회장은 즉각 물러나야 합니다(2015.05.29)