'Declaration of Direct Confrontation' Hong Myung-bo, Facing Severe Criticism, Heads to Hearing... "Must Go Do Animal Shelter Volunteer Work," "I'm Not Feeling Well" — Cowardly Leaders of Korean Football

*This content was translated by AI.

The National Assembly hearing, convened to expose the hasty administration and paralysis of the Korea Football Association (KFA), is finally approaching. However, criticism is mounting as additional witnesses selected for the hearing have repeatedly declared their non-appearance with absurd reasons.

Ahead of the KFA-related hearing scheduled for the 30th, the National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee added five individuals as witnesses: Seo Gang-il, President of Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Do Chuk-gu-hyeop (Chairman); Park Sung-wan, Chungcheongnam-do Do Chuk-gu-hyeop (Chairman); Baek Hyun-sik, President of Busan Metropolitan City Football Association; Kim Byung-cheol, former Sports Korea Fair Trade Commission Chairman; and Park Ji-young, former Sports Ethics Center Lee (President).

As feared, the leaders of Korean football have successively avoided the hearing. Even Seo Gang-il, President of Jeonbuk Football Association who had previously targeted Park Ji-sung, K-Football Innovation Committee Chair, and Lee Young-pyo, K-Football Innovation Committee Member, submitted a non-appearance statement and stayed away.

Doubts have arisen that they are exploiting the fact that witnesses, unlike testifying witnesses, have no legal obligation to appear. Earlier, Seo Gang-il (Chairman) sparked public outrage by making insulting remarks in an interview with KBS, saying, "What do Park Ji-sung and Lee Young-pyo know about running an innovation committee?" and "As a football player, he was a national team member, but how much life has he lived? How much law does he know? What social experience does he have to be an innovation committee chair?"

Furthermore, while protesting that a by-election should be held within 60 days according to the articles of association and why they are trying to amend them, he also defended the controversy surrounding the pardon for match-fixing cases and consistently showed an attitude of clinging to protecting vested interests by defending President Jeong Mong-gyu's Jeon (Chairman) tenure as a "13-year sacrifice."

In response to Seo (Chairman)'s insulting remarks, Park Ji-sung, K-Football Innovation Committee Chair and Gong Dong-wi (Director), responded with dignity. At a briefing for the third meeting of the innovation committee on the 20th, Park (Chairman) calmly pointed out, "It is important to speak transparently and accurately before many people about the path we must take and gain trust. If you bring up situations that are not valid reasons but merely for the purpose of opposition, anyone can make an evaluation these days." He added, "His opinion may have come from his own thoughts, but the fact that many people showed a negative reaction ultimately proves that his actions were inappropriate for his position."

Despite having the opportunity to state their firmly held positions at the National Assembly hearing, Seo (Chairman) declared non-appearance, resulting in all three additional city and province football association presidents failing to attend the hearing. Coincidentally, these three individuals had publicly supported Jeong Mong-gyu (Chairman) during the election for the 55th President of the KFA. Baek Hyun-sik, Busan Football Association President, submitted an absurd non-appearance statement claiming, "I am caring for over 200 stray animals in volunteer work (in addition to my personal business), so it is difficult to be away from my post for a long time," while Park Sung-wan of Chungcheongnam-do Nam Chuk-gu-hyeop (Chairman) also notified his non-appearance citing personal schedules.

Unlike testifying witnesses, witnesses at the National Assembly hearing do not face legal penalties or compulsory summons even if they fail to appear. However, in a moment when national demand for Korean football reform has erupted following the great tragedy of the national team's failure to advance from the World Cup group stage, it is difficult to avoid criticism that those who defended their vested interests and political Jeon (Chairman) are ignoring the hearing by using legal loopholes as an excuse.

Here, the actions of those responsible diverge sharply. Fifteen individuals, including former head coach Hong Myung-bo and President Jeong Mong-gyu Jeon (Chairman), have been selected as testifying witnesses for this hearing.

Among the leadership, former head coach Hong Myung-bo stated in a statement released on the 29th that "If the hearing is held, I will not avoid it but will attend and fully bear the responsibility that must be shouldered as a coach until the end," and has already returned home to prepare for his appearance.

In particular, regarding recent reports of alleged private use of corporate cards, former coach Hong stated, "Corporate cards were used only within the designated purpose and limit according to KFA regulations, and it was normal expenditure considering the process of performing national team duties and the living environment of the coaching staff." He expressed his determination for a direct confrontation by promising to provide detailed supporting documents at the hearing.

On the other hand, according to the football community, Lee Im-saeng, former Chief Technical Officer who led Hong's appointment and even sparked perjury controversies at the National Assembly, submitted a non-appearance statement citing his employment with Cambodia Nagaworld FC. Unlike former World Cup Support Team Head Coach Park Hang-seo, whose overseas assignment was confirmed before the World Cup began, former Director Lee quickly secured employment with an overseas club immediately after the great tragedy to avoid the hearing, making it difficult to escape accusations that this was a contrived trip abroad merely to evade the hearing.

Those who belittled legends demanding reform by saying "What do they know?" and defended the paralysis of the Football Association are now repeatedly resorting to their chronic tricks of avoiding the National Assembly hearing, where responsible explanations are demanded from them in front of the public and football fans, using excuses such as deteriorating health, personal schedules, animal volunteer work, and hastily fabricated overseas employment.

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*This content was translated by AI.