"But why did you lose?" Absurd questions at Football Association hearing... YouTube Shorts with "factually incorrect" basis

*This content was translated by AI.

Concerns became reality. Once again, some absurd questions were raised during the National Assembly hearing on the Korean Football Association, causing fans to furrow their brows. From the very beginning of the hearing, shouting matches between the ruling and opposition parties directed at each other, rather than at the Football Association itself, was an expected "bonus."

Choi Min-hee, a member of the National Assembly from the Democratic Party of Korea's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, asked Kim Jin-gyu, who served as coach of the South Korean national team at the time, about the controversy surrounding Son Heung-min (LAFC) and Lee Kang-in (Mainz 05), who were excluded from the starting lineup during the final group stage match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. At the time, football fans viewed the exclusion of Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in from the starting lineup as a cause for defeat, and Choi Min-hui (Rep.)'s question centered on the notion that Coach Hong Myung-bo's "revenge" was behind it.

To support this, Choi Min-hui (Rep.) displayed a YouTube Shorts video as the basis for the question. The video showed a scene from the South Africa match where Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) and Lee Kang-in (then Paris Saint-Germain) were requesting something from Coach Kim Jin-gyu during a hydration break. No audio was heard, but subtitles displayed Lee Kang-in's line: "(Lee) Jaesung should come in now." Choi Min-hui (Rep.) explained, "That player is saying 'You shouldn't do this; you must play Son Heung-min'."

Continuing, Choi Min-hui (Rep.) asked Coach Kim Jin-gyu, "Was the reason Son Heung-min and others couldn't play in the South Africa match revenge by (Coach Hong Myung-bo)? Is that true?" When Coach Kim's wife responded, Choi (Rep.) pressed again, "There was absolutely no such thing. This is the National Assembly. Was there really nothing?" The questioning carried an implicit threat of perjury penalties at the National Assembly.

Former Coach Kim Jin-gyu stated that even among players who insisted they should be substituted in, neither Son Heung-min nor Lee Kang-in was mentioned; instead, it was Cho Gue-sung (Midtjylland). The subtitle claiming a player requested Coach Kim Jin-gyu to substitute Lee Kang-in was factually incorrect, yet this video was presented as evidence at the National Assembly.

Furthermore, Choi Min-hui (Rep.) stated, "This was also reported in the media. Football fans believe that Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in not starting early on was the cause of defeat." When Coach Kim Jin-gyu responded, "Fans can say that, but we think (the fans' view) is wrong," Choi Min-hui (Rep.) asked, "But why did you lose?" This absurd question left Coach Kim Jin-gyu speechless.

After Coach Kim barely managed to reiterate, "During a match, various things happen. But I don't think the loss was because Lee Kang-in or Son Heung-min didn't play," Choi Min-hui (Rep.) retorted, "Then why did you lose? Are you saying football fans are wrong?" Former Coach Kim Jin-gyu replied somewhat bewilderedly, "It would be inappropriate for me to explain why we won or lost."

Moreover, from the very beginning of the hearing, discussions arose regarding social media posts by President Lee Jae-myung and Choi Hwi-young, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Instead of directing questions about the Football Association toward the "President" and the "Government," shouting matches between the ruling and opposition parties occurred. Without clear grounds or evidence, accusations were hurled at each other, and ultimately, questions demanding thorough investigations by either the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism or the Football Association continued regardless of party affiliation.

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*This content was translated by AI.