Kim Seung-hee, new executive director of the Korea Football Association (KFA), speaks during a press conference at the KFA House in Seoul on May 21, 2025. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 21 (Korea Bizwire) — A senior South Korean football executive said Wednesday the sport’s national governing body will be in touch with FIFA over a ban on a local club that came to light last week.
In his introductory press conference, Kim Seung-hee, executive director of the Korea Football Association (KFA), addressed FIFA’s registration ban on the K League 1 club Gwangju FC.
FIFA imposed the penalty on Gwangju FC on Dec. 17, 2024, after the club failed to pay US$3,000 in solidarity contributions related to their signing of forward Jasir Asani from Albania. The fee would have been distributed to the player’s former clubs from his age 12 to 23.
Unaware of FIFA’s ban on signing new players, Gwangju acquired about a dozen players last winter, and have played 14 matches in the K League 1 and two more matches in the Korea Cup tournament this year. They have also competed at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Elite tournament.
After the ban was belatedly revealed last week, other K League 1 clubs have argued that all Gwangju matches this season should be declared 3-0 losses for the offending team because they had fielded ineligible players. Pohang Steelers, after losing to Gwangju 1-0 on Sunday, lodged a complaint with the K League office Monday.
Gwangju FC have said they failed to make the payment because an employee in charge went on leave in September 2024 without sharing necessary information with coworkers.
Gwangju FC also didn’t learn of the ban until recently because the KFA had forwarded a FIFA email detailing the penalty to the employee on leave and it wasn’t immediately shared with other team staff.
The Korea Professional Football League (K League) was not made aware of the ban, either, because the KFA had not cc’d the FIFA email to the K League, according to a league official.
Against this backdrop, Kim said Wednesday he will try to prevent a recurrence.
(Yonhap)
