After the defeat of the Korean national team at the 2026 World Cup, the National Assembly of this country decided to open a hearing on the management of the Korean Football Association (KFA), and invited many famous figures of kimchi football, including captain Son Heung-min and former coach Park Hang-seo.
South Korea closed the group stage of the 2026 World Cup with 3 points after 3 matches. They defeated the Czech Republic but lost to Mexico and South Africa, thereby being eliminated from the group stage. This result sparked a strong wave of criticism aimed at the KFA, especially related to management and the head coach appointment process.
On July 9, the Committee for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Korean National Assembly approved a plan to hold a hearing on July 22 to comprehensively review the activities of the KFA.
Chairman of the Committee Lee Jae-jung (Democratic Party) said that the meeting will focus on clarifying the process of appointing the head coach of the national team as well as inadequacies in management, thereby proposing reform measures.
According to MP Lee Jeong-mun, the disappointment of fans after the recent World Cup makes the National Assembly need to intervene to contribute to restoring transparency and confidence in Korean football.
The summoned list includes 13 witnesses and 10 references. Among the witnesses are former KFA Chairman Chung Mong-gyu, former head coach Hong Myung-bo, former Technical Director Lee Im-saeng, KFA Vice Chairman Lee Yong-su, former Team Reinforcement Committee Chairman Jeong Hae-sung, CEO Kim Seung-hee and two former KFA Vice Chairmen Park Hang-seo and Choi Young-il.
In the reference group, there are many big names such as Park Ji-sung, Chairman of the Korean Olympic Committee Ryu Seung-min, Lee Young-pyo, Park Ju-ho and two players who just participated in the World Cup, Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan.
However, the National Assembly's invitation to Son Heung-min to attend a hearing has created many mixed opinions. This is a very rare case in the history of Korean football. The 34-year-old striker is currently playing for LAFC in the MLS and needs to focus on the recovery process after the World Cup.
According to regulations, references are not legally required to attend the hearing. Representatives of Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan both confirmed that the two players will be absent due to being busy fulfilling their obligations to their managing club.
