South Korea's top football official says he is considering running for president after opinion polls showed 40% of people wanted him as leader.

Chung Mong-joon's popularity has soared since this summer's successful co-hosting of the World Cup.

He said any campaign he launched would try to change the mood of politics in South Korea which have been tainted by a series of scandals that has generated antipathy and apathy among voters.

Chung Mong-joon support is widespread but unreliable

Analysts say a Chung candidacy would bring a dramatic new dimension to December's vote to replace President Kim Dae-jung, who is limited by law to a single five-year term.

The candidate from Mr Kim's Millennium Democratic Party, Roh Moo-hyun, has been tainted by the scandals involving two of Mr Kim's three sons, and by crushing party defeats in recent by-elections.

Lee Hoi-chang of the opposition Grand National Party had become the front-runner but allegations that his son dodged military service - which contributed to his losing the 1997 race - are also resurfacing.

Analysts suggest Mr Chung would have a better chance of success if he ran for a revamped version of the ruling MDP, but he said he had been considering launching a new party.

I am thinking of running as a candidate to reform politics and change the campaign mood

Chung Mong-joon

He plans to hold talks with former presidential candidate Rhee In-je and Park Geun-hye, the daughter of late president Park Chung-hee, who announced in March she was founding a new party to encourage political reform.

Mr Chung, who is president of the Korea Football Association, told reporters: "I am thinking of running as a candidate to reform politics and change the campaign mood, even if I don't get elected."

'Fresh image'

Lee Nae-young, professor of politics at Seoul's Korea University, said Mr Chung's role in bringing the World Cup to South Korea and making it a success had generated political capital.

"His fresh image is appealing to young people, who are yearning for new and clean politics," he said.

"His support base is very broad thanks to the World Cup effects. But it's not firm and rather fluid."

People are attracted to him, as they are not satisfied with any of the current candidates

Political scientist Kim Il-young

Kim Il-young, a political scientist at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul agreed that Mr Chung had initial appeal.

"People are attracted to him, as they are not satisfied with any of the current candidates," he said.

"But once he comes under public scrutiny, I'm not sure whether he will be able to survive it."

Mr Chung's father, Chung Ju-yung, founded the Hyundai Group - one of South Korea's largest corporations - and made his own unsuccessful bid for the presidency in 1992.

Mr Chung enjoyed some poll success earlier this week when he was re-elected for a third term as a vice-president of international football governing body, Fifa.