'The one who ruined Korean football'... "Hong Myung-bo guaranteed a high salary" → Lee Im-saeng, who fled overseas for employment, will he return to Korea?

*This content was translated by AI.

Following the tragedy of elimination in the World Cup group stage, public outrage has grown over football leaders' attempts to evade responsibility. Attention is now focused on whether these figures will appear at the upcoming National Assembly hearing. As key figures who drove Korean football to disaster hurriedly fled overseas, concerns are deepening that the witness stand for hearings held domestically may once again remain empty.

Lee Im-saeng, former executive director of the Korea Football Association's Technical Department who wielded full authority during the controversy over appointing Hong Myung-bo as coach, chose to hastily accept a job abroad by taking the position of technical director at Cambodian professional club Nagaworld FC without offering even a single apology while Korean football faced severe fallout.

Although former coach Hong Myung-bo returned to Korea immediately after the World Cup through Incheon Airport, he left for his family home in Los Angeles, USA, as if fleeing, leaving behind only a brief monologue statement of less than two minutes at the Mexico base camp without any specific analysis or review of the abysmal results, placing him at the center of criticism.

However, their overseas stay is expected to be halted before the National Assembly. The list of witnesses for the hearing on Korea Football Association issues confirmed by the National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee includes Jeong Mong-gyu Jeon (Chairman), former coach Hong Myung-bo, and former executive Lee Im-saeng. According to the law, hearing witnesses have a mandatory obligation to appear, and failure to appear without valid reason may result in the issuance of an escort order or even criminal punishment.

Including these individuals, a total of 13 people are required to appear at this hearing. The list includes former and current senior officials and power strengthening committee members of the Korea Football Association such as Jeong Mong-gyu, Hong Myung-bo, Lee Im-saeng, Lee Yong-soo, Jung Hae-seong, Kim Byung-ji, Kim Jin-kyu, Han Jun-hee, Jeon Han-jin, and Park Hang-seo. Although key figures responsible for the early elimination have resigned one after another and gone abroad, raising concerns that they may still try to evade attendance requirements, strong pressure is being applied regarding their return to Korea given the legal enforceability.

In this situation, former coach Hong Myung-bo, who left for the United States, unexpectedly announced his intention to attend the hearing directly through his scholarship foundation. Former coach Hong stated, "If a hearing is held, I believe that place will be where I explain the World Cup results to the people. If so, it is me, the coach, who must stand there," expressing his determination to face the issue head-on.

He added, "The responsibility for the result lies entirely with me, the coach. Therefore, if a hearing is held, I will bear the responsibility that I, as a coach, must shoulder all the way through alone. I will tell the people everything I know exactly as it is and will not evade any questions."

Since former coach Hong has publicly declared that he will appear directly at the National Assembly and not evade questions, attention now shifts to whether former executive Lee Im-saeng, who hurriedly left for Cambodia, will enter the country.

When former executive Lee Im-saeng was appointed as Hong Myung-bo's coach, he claimed, "I alone led the appointment of Hong Myung-bo. Korean coaches should be treated no less than foreign coaches." Later, after facing criticism during a question session at the National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee regarding unfairness controversies, he even shed tears while announcing his intention to resign.

However, former executive Lee was also disgraced when it was revealed that he lied to the National Assembly by claiming "we met and talked alone" despite Vice Chairman Choi Young-il accompanying him during the pre-appointment interview process, leading to his indictment for perjury.

On the other hand, active players who were listed on the list of non-witnesses without a mandatory appearance obligation ultimately did not appear at the hearing. Previously, the National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee adopted Son Heung-min (LAFC) and Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers) as non-witnesses for their performances in the World Cup, but criticism poured out from inside and outside the football community that this was an unreasonable political summons. Given that they were non-witnesses without enforceability, and considering Son Heung-min's schedule with his active Major League Soccer (MLS) team and Hwang Hee-chan's club Wolverhampton's pre-season preparations, physical attendance was impossible due to official team schedules. With strong backlash from fans as well, the adoption of these two players as non-witnesses was withdrawn in just one day.

Ultimately, the farce of putting innocent active players in the spotlight came to an end, and the hearing was condensed into a place solely for witnesses who must bear responsibility. With former coach Hong, who resigned voluntarily and headed to his home in the United States, promising to return to Korea and appear, attention is focused on whether remaining key witnesses such as former executive Lee Im-saeng, who remain silent, will reveal the truth before the people at the hearing.

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*This content was translated by AI.