South Korean Football Stars Excluded as Witnesses from Parliamentary Hearing

A planned parliamentary hearing concerning the Korea Football Association (KFA) will no longer include star players Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan as witnesses. The decision to withdraw their summons came after lawmaker Im Oh-kyung reconsidered the request.

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The intention was not to burden the athletes but to facilitate a more productive hearing for the advancement of Korean football.

Im Oh-kyung, a member of the Democratic Party, explained on Facebook that the decision was made after comprehensively considering the party's opinions, the players' match schedules, and their positions. She emphasized that the intention was not to burden the athletes but to facilitate a more productive hearing for the advancement of Korean football.

The hearing, scheduled for the 22nd, is intended to be a starting point for institutional improvements aimed at restoring trust in Korean football. Im stressed the importance of incorporating the perspectives of those on the ground, stating that innovation without player input is meaningless. She had initially sought to include players as witnesses to gather insights from those closest to the national team, the association, and international football systems.

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Innovation without player input is meaningless.

Lawmakers had initially planned to summon 13 individuals, including KFA Chairman Chung Mong-gyu and former technical director Leeim Saeng, as witnesses. Additionally, 10 individuals, including K-Football Innovation Committee co-chairmen Park Ji-sung and Yoo Seung-min, and players Park Joo-ho and Lee Young-pyo, were to be invited as references. However, concerns were raised that summoning active professional players could negatively impact their performance, leading to the exclusion of Son and Hwang from the reference list.

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The public wants the Football Association's operations to become more transparent and fair, and for Korean football to be reborn as a trusted system.