The National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee will hold a hearing on the Korea Football Association (KFA) on the 22nd of this month, summoning former national team coach Hong Myung-bo and KFA Chairman Chung Mong-gyu.
The committee held a plenary session on the 9th and passed the "Adoption of the Plan to Hold a Hearing on Korea Football Association Issues," among other measures, reaching this decision.
Lee Jae-jung, the committee chairman from the Democratic Party of Korea, said, "We will examine the pending issues at the parliamentary level regarding the selection process for the national football team coach and the various problems that have emerged across the KFA's overall operations, and seek ways to normalize the association."
Rep. Lee Jung-moon of the same party, who was appointed as the ruling party's floor manager, stressed, "Public disappointment and concern over the situation surrounding the KFA are very great." He added, "The Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee will take the lead in driving reform to restore fairness and trust across sports administration."
At the meeting, the list of 13 witnesses and 10 references to be summoned to the hearing was also confirmed. Witnesses adopted include KFA Chairman Chung Mong-gyu, former national team coach Hong Myung-bo, former association technical director Lee Lim-saeng, KFA Vice Chairman Lee Yong-soo, former national team power reinforcement committee chairman Jeong Hae-seong, KFA Managing Director Kim Seung-hee, and former KFA Vice Chairmen Choi Young-il and Park Hang-seo.
The list of references includes Park Ji-sung, a member of a FIFA committee and co-chairman of the "K-Football Innovation Committee" (hereinafter the innovation committee), Korean Sport & Olympic Committee President Ryu Seung-min, and commentators Lee Young-pyo and Park Joo-ho, who are members of the innovation committee. Players Son Heung-min (LAFC) and Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), who competed at the 2026 World Cup in North and Central America, were also adopted as references.
However, it remains uncertain whether all the witnesses and references adopted that day will attend the hearing. Democratic Party Rep. Cho Kye-won said at the meeting, "Key parties (related to the hearing), such as former Chairman Chung and former coach Hong, have taken steps such as resigning one after another and fleeing abroad, so there is a strong possibility they will evade the request to appear."
If the hearing is held, the selection processes of former coach Jurgen Klinsmann and former coach Hong, which have been the subject of controversy, along with allegations of the association's behind-closed-doors operations, are expected to be treated as important topics.
According to the results of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's audit, the selection of coach Klinsmann in February 2023 was made in a situation where the function of the national team power reinforcement committee, the body meant to lead the process, had been neutralized. It was also confirmed that when former coach Hong was later selected, then-technical director Lee Lim-saeng, who had no authority to appoint coaches, recommended coaching candidates and the interviews were conducted opaquely.
Meanwhile, the plenary session that day was held without the People Power Party, which has not been participating in standing committee activities in protest against the Democratic Party's unilateral election of 11 standing and special committee chairs.
