South Korea's Chung to meet Platini, discuss FIFA future

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's Chung Mong-joon, who is weighing up a bid to replace Sepp Blatter as president of scandal-hit FIFA, said on Friday he will meet UEFA chief Michel Platini and other leading soccer figures while in Berlin for the Champions League final. Chung, the billionaire scion of South Korea's Hyundai conglomerate, had said on Wednesday he would seek the opinions of international soccer power brokers before making any decision about a run for the sport's top job. He said on his official website on Friday he was traveling to the German capital for Saturday's Champions League final between Barcelona and Juventus and would also meet soccer officials to discuss FIFA's future. "Chung Mong-joon is to exchange opinions on FIFA reform while meeting with soccer authorities including Michel Platini," a statement on Chung's website (www.mjchung.com) said, adding that he was leaving for Europe on Friday. Blatter, who has been a dominant presence at FIFA for decades, rocked the world of soccer on Tuesday by saying he would step down as FIFA president in the wake of a corruption investigation that now includes the 79-year-old himself. A total of 14 FIFA officials and corporate executives have been charged by the U.S. Department of Justice with running a criminal enterprise involving more than $150 million in bribes. Chung, a former FIFA vice president, is one of Blatter's fiercest critics and has long called for FIFA to improve transparency. (Reporting by Kim Hoo-yeon; Writing by Peter Rutherford; Editing by Alex Richardson)