[Anchor]

During the National Assembly hearing on the Korea Football Association, text messages exchanged between former KFA President Chung Mong-gyu, who attended as a witness, and People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Yong-geun became a source of controversy. During the hearing, Rep. Yoon sent a message saying he was sorry he could not be more considerate, to which the former president replied by thanking him for paying attention.

Reporter Jeong Yunsik has the details.

[Reporter]

The National Assembly hearing room for the Korea Football Association was thrown into a stir after media reports captured the smartphone screen of Rep. Yoon Yong-geun, a hearing committee member belonging to the People Power Party.

These were the text messages exchanged yesterday afternoon between Rep. Yoon and former KFA President Chung Mong-gyu.

Rep. Yoon sent a message to the former president saying, "I was contacted by senior Chung yesterday," and "I apologize for not being more considerate." Former President Chung replied, "Thank you for your concern," and "I will greet you at another occasion, not a setting like this."

Democratic Party lawmakers questioned whether the former president had mobilized his personal network to approach hearing committee members.

[Lee Jae-jung / Democratic Party Lawmaker (Chairperson of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee): What kind of favors were you trying to ask for if you knew someone? What kind of requests did you make?]

[Chung Mong-gyu / Former KFA President: I have asked people, 'Do you happen to know anyone?' I asked things like, 'What kind of questions will be asked?' or 'Is there anything I should prepare in advance?' I talked to them like that to prepare for my answers.]

[Yoon Yong-geun / People Power Party Lawmaker: There was nothing given or taken between us at all. Private matters are private, and public matters are public. Therefore, I carried out all the questions I had prepared without change.]

Democratic Party lawmaker Noh Jong-hee claimed that "Senior Chung," who appeared in the text messages between the two, was confirmed to be former lawmaker Chung Jin-seuk, who served as the final presidential chief of staff under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration.

The former chief of staff served twice as a member of the National Assembly for Gongju-Buyeo-Cheongyang in South Chungcheong Province, which is Rep. Yoon's constituency, and is a university alumnus of former President Chung.

When pressed by lawmaker Noh about whether he had indeed contacted the former chief of staff, former President Chung avoided answering, saying, "As this is a matter concerning personal privacy, I will not comment."

(Video Reporter: Shin Dong-hwan | Video Editor: Nam Il | Photo Credit: Seoul Shinmun)