DP Rep. Lim Oh-kyung Withdraws Request to Summon Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan as Witnesses for KFA Hearing

Representative Lim Oh-kyung of the Democratic Party of Korea, who had requested that national team players Son Heung-min (LAFC) and Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) appear as witnesses at the Korea Football Association (KFA) hearing, decided to withdraw the request today, July 10.
In a post on her Facebook page today, Rep. Lim stated, "I requested the players as witnesses to hear from active athletes who have experienced the association, the national team, and overseas football systems, but I have decided to withdraw the request after considering the party's position and the players' match schedules."
The National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee adopted a plan to hold a hearing on the Korea Football Association during its plenary session yesterday, July 9. The committee selected 13 people as witnesses for the hearing scheduled for July 22, including former KFA President Chung Mong-gyu and former national team head coach Hong Myung-bo.
In addition, the committee had confirmed 10 individuals as reference witnesses, including Son Heung-min, Hwang Hee-chan, Park Ji-sung—a member of the FIFA Football Committee and co-chair of the K-Football Innovation Committee—and Korean Sport & Olympic Committee President Lee Kee-heung.
This led to criticism from some quarters that it was inappropriate to summon players who have little direct connection to the issues being investigated, such as the national team coach selection process and the operational problems of the KFA.
Representative Jin Jong-oh of the People Power Party, a former Olympic gold medalist in shooting, criticized Rep. Lim on Facebook today, stating, "What needs to be resolved through the hearing is the association's opaque operational structure and the fairness of the coach selection process."
He further urged the withdrawal of the witness requests for the two players, saying, "Do not turn football reform into a political show."
Reform Party Floor Leader Cheon Ha-ram also pointed out on Facebook, "Are you trying to cover up the association's incompetence and mismanagement by framing the cause of the poor World Cup performance as a conflict between Son Heung-min and coach Hong?"
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.