Text Messages Exchanged with Chung Mong-gyu Exposed... When Asked "Who Is Senior Chung?"

[Anchor]

Meanwhile, during today's (July 30) hearing, text messages exchanged between former Korea Football Association President Chung Mong-gyu and a lawmaker were revealed, sparking controversy. Representative Yoon Yong-keun of the People Power Party was captured sending a text message to former President Chung that read, "I apologize for not being able to be more considerate." Criticism poured in, suggesting that former President Chung may have mobilized his personal connections to approach the hearing committee member.

Reporter Jeong Yunsik has the details.

[Reporter]

Today's National Assembly hearing on the Korea Football Association was stirred by media reports capturing the smartphone screen of Representative Yoon Yong-keun, a hearing committee member belonging to the People Power Party.

Around 1:50 p.m. today, text messages exchanged between Representative Yoon and former Korea Football Association President Chung Mong-gyu were revealed.

Representative Yoon told former President Chung, "I was contacted by Senior Chung yesterday," and "I apologize for not being able to be more considerate." In response, former President Chung replied, "Thank you for looking out for me," and "I will greet you at another occasion, not a place like this."

Democratic Party lawmakers pressed whether former President Chung had mobilized his personal connections to approach the hearing committee members.

[Lee Jae-jung / Democratic Party lawmaker (Chairperson of the National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee): What kind of favor were you trying to ask if there was someone you knew? What favor did you ask?]ur

[Chung Mong-gyu / Former Korea Football Association President: I have asked, 'Do you happen to know anyone?' I asked things like, 'What kind of questions will you be asking?' or 'Is there anything I should prepare in advance?' I talked like that to answer well.]

[Yoon Yong-keun / People Power Party lawmaker: There was nothing traded or anything like that. Personal matters are personal matters, and public matters are public matters. That is why I carried out all my prepared questions as they were....]

Expressing regret over the controversy, former President Chung did not comply with demands to reveal the identity of the "Senior Chung" mentioned in the text messages.

[Chung Mong-gyu / Former Korea Football Association President: Do I have an obligation to tell you? Is there a legal obligation? Or it's a matter concerning my privacy, so I cannot judge whether I must tell you that. It is just someone who is currently not working.]

(Camera footage by Shin Dong-hwan | Video editing by Nam Il | Photo provided by Seoul Shinmun)

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