KFA Report: Korea to Join World Top 10 by 2010

The Korea Football Association (KFA) is seeking to have Korea¡¯s soccer team join the world¡¯s top 10 no later than 2010.

The plan was contained in a report titled ¡°Korea Soccer Vision 2010¡± that the KFA recently drafted for the development of Korean soccer.

A KFA official said Wednesday that the report features five major policy goals that involve epoch-making reforms in soccer-related systems, special programs for talented players and coaches, and construction of soccer-related infrastructure.

The report also contains detailed programs to be implemented to attain these goals, he said.

On the basis of the report, the KFA held a meeting on Nov. 28 to discuss the future of Korean soccer. The meeting took place at the KFA building in Sinmunno near Kwanghwamun, Seoul with KFA president Chung Mong-Joon, managing director Cho Jung-Yon and technical committee chairman Lee Yong-Soo attending. The KFA¡¯s long-term plan was also reported the same day at a meeting of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism presided over by Minister Kim Han-Gill, the official said.

The report was drafted under the leadership of technical committee chairman Lee, and the KFA openly admitted that Korean soccer is facing a serious crisis.

According to the action programs, the government is advised to scrap the current ¡°four semifinalists¡¯ formula¡± that allows universities to admit as ¡°students of special ability¡± the graduating-class players of high school teams that advanced to the semifinals in a national tournament once or more during a season.

The programs also feature the expansion of the round-robin system, drastic reinforcement of overseas training, and allotment of five full-time coaches in Seoul, Kyonggi, South Chungchong, Kangwon, South and North Cholla, and South and North Kyongsang Provinces to establish a system to assemble standing national teams by age group.

The report calls for each professional team to set up soccer classes for youngsters by age, the fostering of coaches and reform in training programs.

The report also said that the current KFA administration should be reformed because all the administrative businesses were paralyzed with the expiration of the terms of the incumbent president and vice presidents.

It proposes that the KFA build an administrative network led by the secretariat to ensure ongoing progress.

¡°For this, the KFA is urged to adjust the wage system for its employees and to recruit able employees continuously through open competition,¡± the report said.