"Are you putting on a political show?" backlash over summoning Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan... Lim O-gyeong (Rep.) ultimately withdraws witness application after just one day

*This content was translated by AI.

Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Im Oh-kyung, who attempted to call Son Heung-min (LAFC) and Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) of the South Korean national football team as witnesses for a Korea Football Association hearing, withdrew the application amid fierce criticism.

The decision came following persistent concerns that it is inappropriate to summon active-duty players who need time to recover from fatigue after the 2026 FIFA World Cup and prepare for the new season to appear at a National Assembly hearing.

Lim (Rep.), a member of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, announced on the 10th via his social media: "I applied to summon Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan as witnesses because I believed the Korea Football Association hearing scheduled for the 22nd must not become a one-sided hearing that only hears one side of the story."

He further explained, "This decision was not intended to burden the players but to create a better hearing for the development of Korean football."

However, Lim (Rep.) stated, "After comprehensively considering the party's position and the players' match schedules, I have withdrawn the witness application."

Previously, the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee decided to hold a Korea Football Association hearing on the 22nd. Among them, Lim (Rep.) applied to summon Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan, who participated in the North America World Cup, as witnesses for the hearing.

It is understood that Lim (Rep.), who was formerly a member of the national handball team, intended to hear perspectives on reforming the Korea Football Association from active players with experience overseas, given the differing viewpoints between coaches and athletes.

However, criticism immediately poured in. The decision was condemned for failing to consider the players' circumstances at all.

In fact, Major League Soccer (MLS), where Son Heung-min plays, will resume its league schedule starting on the 18th after the World Cup break. Son's club LAFC also played a friendly match on the 12th and is set to face LA Galaxy on the 18th. The match against LA Galaxy holds particular significance as it is a local rivalry game.

Hwang Hee-chan's club, Wolverhampton, has also begun preparations for the new season. Wolverhampton, which is preparing for pre-season, will play friendly matches starting on the 23rd. Having suffered relegation last season, Wolverhampton now needs to restore its reputation in the upcoming season.

However, if Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan had been required to attend the hearing, it would have likely caused significant disruptions to their club schedules. This is why criticism arose questioning whether it was appropriate for the National Assembly to summon them as witnesses at a time when they needed sufficient recovery after the World Cup and return to their teams.

Criticism also continued within the football community. Commentator Park Moon-seong raised his voice on his YouTube channel, stating, "You need to wake up. Who summoned them?" He added, "It is fundamentally impossible for Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan to be summoned as witnesses. They were not even consulted beforehand."

Criticism also emerged from the political sphere. People Power Party lawmaker Jin Jong-oh, an Olympic gold medalist in shooting, criticized the Democratic Party, saying, "Do not reduce football reform to a political show."

Reform Party lawmaker Cheon Ha-ram also pointed out, "It appears to be an attempt to cover up the Korea Football Association's incompetence and negligence by shifting responsibility for the World Cup's poor performance onto the conflict between Son Heung-min and coach Hong Myung-bo."

Ultimately, amidst continued criticism and controversy, Lim (Rep.) withdrew the witness application for Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan just one day later.

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*This content was translated by AI.