There is a saying ‘FC Korea’. It is a term used to criticize those who are not interested in soccer at all, but pour out all sorts of criticism on the national team and the Korea Football Association during the World Cup. Of course, not all citizens need to be soccer fans, and just enjoying the World Cup is not a problem. However, the story changes when the president serves as the head of FC Korea.
President Yoon Seok-yeol took issue with the 2022 Qatar World Cup dividend during a cabinet meeting on the 13th. President Yoon said on the day, “For a star business to succeed, it must first of all have a fair compensation system.” This is a remark that came after mentioning at a private dinner for the head of the economic organization on the 9th, “The players suffered, but why does the Korea Football Association take more dividends?” It is said that the Korea Football Association deprived the players of their fair share.
Is it really so? Football associations of each country receive dividends according to World Cup results. The dividend Korea will receive in this tournament is about 17 billion won. The association planned to use 10 billion won of this for operating funds and 7 billion won for player rewards. It goes back about 210 million won to 270 million won per person. On the other hand, Japan, which also advanced to the round of 16, is known to be planning to pay an average of about 96 million won to its players. The amount the Korean national team receives is by no means a small amount.
Moreover, the money going to the Football Association is eventually used for the development of the national team and Korean football. Players are the main characters during the World Cup, but it takes a lot of effort for 4 years to achieve that stage. The association supports the training of the national team and organizes friendly matches. In the long term, we need to nurture youth players and expand soccer infrastructure. World Cup dividends are of course used here. About 20% of the Football Association’s revenue comes from government subsidies. The rest has to be covered by its own revenues, such as dividends, and lottery revenues.
As if aware of this reality, the President pointed out the Football Association as a ‘looter’. In other words, it was a politics of splitting up the coordinates of the stupid soccer association. It also fueled a kind of conspiracy theory called the ‘Football Association full of greed’ that flares up during the World Cup. Chung Mong-kyu, chairman of the Korea Football Association, donated 2 billion won of his own money as a player’s allowance after the president’s undisclosed remarks were reported. It is Chairman Chung who has already donated 4 billion won to appoint coach Paulo Bento in 2018. The Football Association draws a line saying, “It is not because of the president’s remarks,” but how will this situation look in the eyes of the public?
Moreover, the achievements in the round of 16 were not achieved only by the strength of the players. There are many people who supported them off the pitch. The Korea Football Association dispatched 29 support personnel, including the team leader, power analyzer, and medical trainer, to this tournament. If you add those who have contributed to the country, the number is even higher. Their living expenses and airfare are ultimately paid by the Football Association. Its consistency is also remarkable in that it is infinitely indifferent to the workers who sweat and sweat in places that cannot be seen. 안전놀이터
If you are concerned about the fair compensation system in the sports world, in fact, there is another place for the president to really look. In Korea, there are many people who work as workers such as coaches and trainers, but are not protected by labor laws. This is because companies make disguised contracts with them as individual operators to reduce costs. There is a Labor Relations Commission decision recognizing them as workers, but companies ignore them and endure. Yoon Seok-yeol’s process always stops ‘build-up’ in places like this.
Accuracy is the life of build-up soccer. Even goalkeepers have foot skills that are important. A passing mistake could soon result in a run. Korea is a country full of people who have been kicked out of the fair compensation system, such as non-regular workers and specially hired workers. More precise passes are needed than ever. This is the reason for concern about the Yoon Seok-yeol-style process build-up, which talks about a fair compensation system in the wrong place.