Seoul: The incumbent national football chief Chung Mong-gyu formally launched his bid for a fourth term on Monday, despite mounting public pressure for him to step aside. The Korea Football Association (KFA) announced that Chung submitted his declaration of intent to register as a candidate for the presidency of the national football body earlier on Monday. The election is slated for January 8 next year. According to Yonhap News Agency, as the current KFA president, Chung was required to declare his intent to run 50 days before the end of his current term on January 21, 2025. Chung's responsibilities were automatically suspended on Monday, and Vice President Kim Jeong-bae will serve as interim president until the election of a new leader. As part of his reelection campaign, Chung also requested a review of his application for a fourth term by the Commission for Fair Play in Sport at the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee (KSOC) on Monday. Under KSOC regulations, heads of national sports federations seeking reelection beyond a second term must be approved by the fair play commission. The commission will evaluate Chung's bid based on his contributions to the KFA over the years and South Korea's performances at international events during his tenure, among other criteria. Chung, aged 62, was first elected to the KFA's top position in January 2013 after defeating three other candidates. He ran unopposed in the subsequent two elections. This time, if the KSOC grants him approval, Chung will face Huh Jung-moo, former head coach of the South Korean men's national team, who previously worked for Chung as vice president of the KFA. Candidates must complete their registration within a three-day window from December 25 to 27. Chung is expected to hold a press conference around that time to formally announce his pursuit of a fourth term. Chung has faced significant pressure to resign in recent months, with critics pointing to unfair and opaque processes in hiring the past two men's national team head coaches: Jurgen Klin smann and Hong Myung-bo. The controversy surrounding Hong's appointment in July led to the sports ministry launching an investigation into the KFA's operations. In its final findings of the months-long probe announced on November 5, the ministry demanded Chung's suspension from his duties. Instead of complying with the ministry's demand, the KFA stated on Monday that it will appeal the ministry's findings sometime this week.