Chung Mong-Joon

Chung Mong-Joonis a South Korean businessman, politician, and sports official who was involved in various ventures related to the Hyundai Group, which was founded by his father, Chung Ju-Yung, and became one of South Korea’s largest chaebols.

Chung attended the prestigious Seoul National University, where he majored in economics, and then obtained a master of business administration degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a doctorate in international relations at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. During his youth Chung excelled in soccer, basketball, and skiing. His strong interest in sports led to his becoming president of the Korean Archery Association (1983–85).

Chung’s political career began in 1988 when he ran for the National Assembly from Ulsan, the seat of many Hyundai industries, including automobile, shipbuilding, and steel. On the basis of his research and the practical experience he gained as chairman of Hyundai Heavy Industries in the late 1980s, Chung wrote The Government-Business Relationship of Japan: A Case Study of the Japanese Automobile Industry (1993). Critics agreed that this book made a valuable contribution to an understanding of the role of the government in industrial development not only in Japan but also in other countries, particularly those that were trying to catch up with the more-advanced nations.

In 1993 Chung became president of the Korean Football Association, and the following year he was elected vice president of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). With such a background he was able to convince authorities that South Korea should be the host of World Cup 2002; Chung’s father had been largely responsible for bringing the Olympic Games to Seoul in 1988. When FIFA announced in mid-1996 that South Korea and Japan would serve as cohosts of its World Cup 2002, the South Korean people were elated by the news, and Chung was widely praised for his efforts. In 2011 he stepped down as vice president of FIFA. Four years later the organization was hit by a corruption and graft scandal (the 2015 FIFA corruption scandal), and Chung was given a six-year ban for ethics violations concerning his unsuccessful efforts to secure South Korea as host of the 2022 World Cup. The ban was eventually reduced to 15 months.

Chung was also active in politics during that time. In 2002 he created the political party National Alliance 21 and was selected as its presidential candidate for the December elections. Although he received high popularity ratings, he withdrew his candidacy later that year. In 2012 he again ran for president but soon left the race. Two years later he staged an unsuccessful bid to become mayor of Seoul.

Chung’s numerous honours included a National Medal of Zaire (1982), Decoration for the Hosting of the Seoul Olympics (1988), and a Silver Monument Medal for Industry (1994). He also served as chairman of the board of trustees of the University of Ulsan and as a board member of Johns Hopkins University.