As the National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee's pending hearing on the Korea Football Association approaches, criticism is mounting over reference witnesses successively declaring their absence with absurd excuses.

The National Assembly previously additionally selected five reference witnesses, including former Jeonbuk Football Association President Seo Gang-il, Busan Football Association President Baek Hyun-sik, and Chungnam Football Association President Park Sung-wan.

However, they avoided the hearing by offering various excuses.

Busan Football Association President Baek submitted a written excuse stating, "It is difficult to leave my post for a long time as I am volunteering to care for about 200 stray animals," while Chungnam Football Association President Park notified his absence using personal schedule as an excuse.

Even former Jeonbuk Football Association President Seo, who publicly targeted former national football players Park Ji-sung and Lee Young-pyo by asking, "What do they know?", submitted an absence excuse.

All three of these individuals had publicly supported President Chung Mong-gyu during the 55th Korea Football Association presidential election.

Criticism is emerging that they took advantage of the fact that, unlike witnesses, reference witnesses do not face legal sanctions such as punishment or forced attendance even if they fail to attend, thereby dodging an uncomfortable situation.

Fifteen people, including former manager Hong Myung-bo and former President Chung Mong-gyu, were adopted as witnesses for this hearing.

While former manager Hong stated his position that he would attend, former Technical Director Lee Lim-saeng—who led the appointment of former manager Hong and even sparked perjury controversies in the National Assembly—submitted an excuse for absence on the grounds that he obtained a job with a Cambodian football team.

Unlike former World Cup Support Group Director Park Hang-seo, who left for an overseas assignment confirmed even before the World Cup opening, former Director Lee hastily secured a job with an overseas club right after the disaster to slip away, making it difficult to avoid criticism that this is a trick departure to dodge the hearing.

Former manager Hong announced through a statement on the 9th, "If the hearing is held, I will attend without running away and bear the responsibility I must shoulder as a manager to the end," returning home early to prepare for his appearance.

Reported by Kim Jiuk | Video by Seo Byung-wook | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News