Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan Withdrawn as Witnesses for KFA Hearing

Representative Im Oh-kyung of the Democratic Party of Korea, who had requested that football players Son Heung-min (LAFC) and Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) appear as witnesses for the Korea Football Association (KFA) hearing, decided to withdraw the request today (July 10).

In a post on Facebook today, Representative Im stated, "I requested the players as witnesses to hear the voices of active players 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 opinion and the players' match schedules."

During a plenary session yesterday, the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee adopted a motion to hold a hearing regarding the KFA, designating 13 individuals, including former KFA President Chung Mong-gyu and former national team head coach Hong Myung-bo, as witnesses for the hearing scheduled for July 22.

Along with this, the committee had also 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 Yoo Seung-min, President of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee.

This sparked criticism from some quarters, arguing that it was inappropriate to summon players who have little direct connection to the issues being investigated—namely the national team head coach selection process and the KFA's operational problems—to a hearing intended to address those very issues.

Representative Jin Jong-oh of the People Power Party, an Olympic gold medalist in shooting, criticized Representative Im 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 HARAM also pointed out on Facebook, "Is the intention to cover up the KFA'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.