Substance-Free Hearing: Criticism Over Off-Topic Questions Like 'Why Did You Lose?'

[Anchor]

At the National Assembly hearing on the Korea Football Association, former KFA President Chung Mong-gyu and former national team coach Hong Myung-bo attended and mostly denied the allegations against them. With no new information brought to light and off-topic questions such as "Why did you lose the match?", criticisms are mounting that the hearing fell below par.

Reporter Pyeon Gwanghyeon has the story.

[Reporter]

Former KFA President Chung Mong-gyu and former national team coach Hong Myung-bo first bowed their heads in apology over the lackluster performance at the North and Central American World Cup.

[Chung Mong-gyu / Former KFA President: I feel sorry for the insufficient World Cup results.]

[Hong Myung-bo / Former National Football Team Coach: I would like to express my apologies to the citizens first.]

In the ensuing hearing, lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties strongly criticized the association's administrative chaos, while former President Chung drew reprimands for remarks that seemed to miss the essence of the crisis.

[Chung Mong-gyu / Former KFA President: I think that if we had reached the round of 16 or better, this hearing would not have been held.]

Regarding the controversy surrounding his appointment through alleged unfair procedures, dubbed the "bakery interview," former Coach Hong maintained that there were no special favors.

[Hong Myung-bo / Former National Football Team Coach: (Don't you have any intention of offering an apology?) Just because we met in front of my house, I have never requested any special favors or benefits.]

Former Coach Hong also dismissed suspicions that there was a clash of opinions with the squad during the process of refusing interviews following a "Son Heung-min mockery incident" by certain reporters, and refuted rumors that Son Heung-min and Lee Jae-sung were excluded from the starting lineup against South Africa as an act of retaliation.

[Hong Myung-bo / Former National Football Team Coach: The decision not to field the two players was made based on our tactical judgment.]

Overall, the hearing faced harsh reviews for being "subpar."

Lawmaker Choi Min-hee used materials that failed to verify basic facts,

[Choi Min-hee / Democratic Party Lawmaker: There was none at all? This is the National Assembly. (Yes, I am aware.) You must not commit perjury. (Yes.) At that time, the player said another player should be put on the pitch—who was that?]

[Kim Jin-gyu / National Football Team Coach: It was Cho Gue-sung.]

Drawing grimaces from football fans with questions straying far from the essence of the hearing,

[Kim Jin-gyu / National Football Team Coach: We think that is slightly incorrect.]

[Choi Min-hee / Democratic Party Lawmaker: Then why did you lose? Why did you lose?]

Meanwhile, Lawmaker Kim Seok-ki pointed out the KFA's personnel measures and brought up President Lee Jae-myung, sparking a clash.

[Kim Seok-ki / People Power Party Lawmaker: Looking at the personnel appointments made by President Lee Jae-myung over the past year, there are many appointments favoring his own people.]

[Choi Min-hee / Democratic Party Lawmaker: Why are you dragging the President into this? Please proceed faithfully with this hearing.]

With Lee Lim-saeng, former technical director and a key figure in the appointment process of former Coach Hong, failing to attend, and with content previously addressed during the parliamentary audit two years ago being repeated, this hearing is finding it difficult to avoid criticism that it was toothless.

(Video Editing: Park Jung-sam)

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