'Jeong Mong-gyu (Chairman) Allegations of Illegal Ticket Sales' Controversy at the Core: Where Are the Actual Parties Involved? 'Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan Used as Shields → Quickly Withdrawn' Raises Doubts Over Hearing's Effectiveness

*This content was translated by AI.

It appeared that the core figures behind the alleged cartel corruption within the football association were being excluded, while active national team players were being used as shields. Moon Jin-hee, who was at the center of illegal election-related controversies due to allegations of involvement in vote-buying, completely disappeared from the list. Meanwhile, Son Heung-min (LAFC) and Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers), who are busy preparing for the new season, were pushed to the forefront. When they were caught in the backlash, a farcical scene unfolded as their inclusion was withdrawn within just one day.

The National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee held a plenary session, adopted a plan to hold a hearing on issues related to the KFA, and decided to convene the hearing on the 22nd. The upcoming hearing is expected to focus intensively on the opaque selection processes of former coaches Jürgen Klinsmann and Hong Myung-bo, as well as allegations of closed-door operations within the association.

As a result, the list of 13 witnesses, including Jung Mong-gyu (KFA President), former coach Hong Myung-bo, and former Technical Director Lee Im-saeng, along with 10 reference persons such as Park Ji-sung, Lee Young-pyo, and Park Ju-ho, has been finalized.

However, regarding the finalized list, there are concerns both inside and outside the football community that the National Assembly seems to be ignoring the key figures who should have been summoned for questioning. This is because the person currently at the center of the most heated controversy over election fraud within the KFA is none other than Moon Jin-hee (KFA President).

According to recent revelations within the football community, during the election for the 55th KFA President last year, a referee evaluator allegedly attempted vote-buying by requesting support for then-candidate Jung Mong-gyu from referee voters in exchange for promotions and favorable match assignments. More shockingly, it was confirmed that Moon Jin-hui (Chairman), who was an executive board member at the time, personally accompanied the individual during this highly suspicious interview session. This serves as proof of criticism that the indirect election system within the association has been misused to maintain a cartel structure.

Despite being a clear violation of regulations and a serious allegation of power-related corruption that could shake the football community, the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee did not include Moon (Chairman) as either a witness or reference person even once in the hearing list.

Instead of summoning the key figures responsible for investigation, the National Assembly controversially included active players who had just returned from the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and urgently needed to prepare for the new season and recover from fatigue. Im Oh-kyung, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, applied to include Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan as reference persons, stating that he wanted to hear reform directions from the perspective of active players who have experienced international stages.

In response, sharp criticism poured out from both the football community and political circles, accusing the National Assembly of attempting to divert attention by using Son Heung-min and other players as shields, thereby deflecting blame for the World Cup's poor performance and the KFA's incompetence and inefficiency. It was pointed out that the assembly summoned these players without any prior communication or coordination, aiming solely to distract public opinion.

In fact, Major League Soccer (MLS), where Son Heung-min plays, is set to resume its league schedule immediately starting from the 18th after the World Cup break, including crucial rivalry matches. Similarly, Hwang Hee-chan's club, Wolverhampton, has entered pre-season training and must begin friendly matches as early as the 23rd. Consequently, the prevailing view was that this forced summons completely disregarded the players' circumstances. Ultimately, Lim (Rep.) withdrew the application to include active players as reference persons within a day due to public backlash over using them as shields.

With key figures such as former executive Lee Im-saeng fleeing to Cambodia for what appears to be an escape job and former coach Hong Myung-bo reportedly hiding in the United States, the National Assembly failed even to summon Moon Jin-hui (Chairman), the decisive figure capable of exposing the KFA's ugly election cartel. Furthermore, by attempting to divert attention by summoning innocent active players, the assembly has been caught off guard. As a result, growing disappointment and concern are being voiced over whether this hearing can truly address the accumulated issues within the KFA and explore pathways toward normalization.

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*This content was translated by AI.