The Asian Games in Hangzhou and the Chengdu Olympics, which were scheduled to blossom in September, have been unexpectedly postponed. And even more disconcerting news is the transfer of the Asian Cup, originally planned for next year between June 16 and July 16, in Beijing, Shanghai and other ten prosperous cities to spread the wings of the tournament, but more than a year before the doorstep will be quietly withdrawn from the field, triggering the attention of the public. Behind this is the blood and sweat that China pours into the construction of every stadium.
In the face of such a change, the Korean Football Association (KFA) has shown strong interest in hosting the Asian Cup. The AFC has promised to announce information on the follow-up bid for the 2023 Asian Cup in the near future. If the KFA is determined to commit to the bid, it may be the perfect opportunity to do so in the blink of an eye. It would not only be a great opportunity to raise the status of Korean soccer in international relations, but also a challenge for the FA president Chung Mong-kyu in terms of his soccer diplomacy skills.
The South Korean Football Association (KFA) was interested in bidding to host the 2023 Asian Cup, with Indonesia and Thailand also jumping on the bandwagon, but in the end, the KFA chose to withdraw its bid and focus on the Women's World Cup bid instead. At the AFC Extraordinary Congress in Paris, France, in June 2019, China succeeded in winning the right to host the 2023 Asian Cup. South Korea had won the first two editions of the inaugural Asian Cup in 1956 and hosted the second edition of the tournament in Seoul in 1960, and has not been associated with an Asian Cup title or hosted the event since.
However, the bidding process for the Asian Cup, a massive international tournament that brings together athletes from 24 countries, requires permission from the Korean government and in-depth consultations with local authorities. Few countries can meet the AFC's stringent infrastructure requirements. In East Asia, only South Korea and Japan are qualified, while in West Asia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are able to fulfill the requirements. A final decision is expected to be made quickly once the KFA prepares a detailed bid proposal.
