Lawmaker withdraws request for Son Heung-min, Hwang Hee-chan to testify at KFA hearing

Korea's failure to reach the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 was such a national disappointment that lawmakers are holding a parliamentary hearing, though a request to invite national team captain Son Heung-min and forward Hwang Hee-chan as testifiers was withdrawn.

"The hearing should serve as the starting point for restoring trust in Korean football and improving the system for the future," Rep. Lim O-kyeong of the Democratic Party (DP) said Friday in a Facebook post.

"Reform is meaningless if players' views are not reflected," Lim wrote. "That is why I requested current players as testifiers, as they have firsthand experience with the KFA [Korea Football Association], the national team and overseas football systems."

Rep. Lim added that the request to bring the two players to testify was withdrawn after considering the DP's opinion and the players' match schedules.

"The decision is not intended to burden the players but to ensure that there is a better hearing for the development of Korean football," Lim added.

The National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee approved a plan on Thursday to hold a hearing on July 22, led by the ruling DP. The hearing will examine alleged administrative failures within the KFA during former president Chung Mong-gyu's tenure, including questions surrounding the appointment process of former national team coach Hong Myung-bo.

The committee has summoned 13 key figures as witnesses, including Chung, Hong and former KFA technical director Lee Lim-saeng. It also released a list of witnesses invited to offer opinions but not legally required to attend, including Park Ji-sung, co-chair of the K-Football Innovation Committee, Korean Sport & Olympic Committee President Ryu Seung-min and football commentators Lee Young-pyo and Park Joo-ho.

The KFA indicated it would cooperate with the hearing.

"All current officials who have been summoned as witnesses will attend the hearing," a KFA official said.

Hong, who is staying at his home in Los Angeles with his family, also vowed to appear.

"Since this is an opportunity to explain the World Cup results to the public, I will, of course, attend," Hong said. "I will not avoid any questions and will take responsibility until the end."

Club commitments is one of the reasons that made the DP lawmaker withdraw the request to bring Son and Hwang to testify.

For Son, the Major League Soccer season begins on July 18, when Los Angeles FC opens its campaign against crosstown rival LA Galaxy. The club is also scheduled to host Real Salt Lake on July 23, the day after the parliamentary hearing.

Although both matches are in Los Angeles, it would be impossible for Son to attend the hearing in Seoul on July 22 and return to the United States in time to play the following day. Hwang faces a similar scheduling conflict, with preseason preparation coinciding with the date of the hearing. While the Premier League season does not begin until late August, Wolverhampton's preseason schedule starts on July 22, limiting his availability.

Unlike witnesses, testifiers are under no legal obligation to attend under the Act on Testimony and Appraisal Before the National Assembly.

A similar case occurred in 2024, when FC Seoul striker Jesse Lingard, who had been invited as a testifier for a National Assembly audit regarding the condition of the Seoul World Cup Stadium pitch, submitted a written explanation for his absence, citing training and match commitments.

Even so, some within Korean football argue that Son should express his views in some form, even if he cannot attend in person.

Reports of internal divisions within the national team surfaced throughout the World Cup, leading some to argue that the captain and the team's biggest star should publicly address the controversy.

"We shouldn't hear only one side of the story," a current K League coach who requested anonymity said. "There were reports from foreign media about players boycotting interviews even before the tournament began, and after it ended, there were multiple accounts suggesting the atmosphere inside the team was far from healthy."

The coach argued that the hearing would be incomplete without input from the players themselves.

"If attending in person is impossible, the players' perspectives should still be conveyed through a written statement or video testimony," the coach added.

BY SONG JI-HOON [[email protected]]