Seoul: An opposition lawmaker and the former head of South Korea's national football association faced criticism on Thursday following a text exchange that hinted at potential lobbying for favorable treatment during a parliamentary hearing on the sport.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the National Assembly's committee on sports convened to assess the state of the Korea Football Association (KFA) after South Korea's recent early exit from the FIFA World Cup. The hearing, chaired by Democratic Party (DP) Representative Lee Jae-jung, aimed to question former KFA President Chung Mong-gyu, among others, about what many have criticized as the association's opaque operations.
Prior to the afternoon session, People Power Party (PPP) Representative Yun Yong-keun sent a text to Chung Mong-gyu stating: "Mr. President, I got a call from Mr. Chung yesterday. I should have been more considerate. I apologize." Chung responded: "Thank you for your consideration. I will see you in a different setting, not an occasion such as this. From Chung Mong-gyu." The text exchange was captured by a local daily and quickly circulated among media outlets.
Upon learning of the exchange, Representative Lee questioned Chung Mong-gyu about any attempts to influence committee members before the hearing. Lee also inquired whether Chung had sought other avenues for lobbying.
When pressed about the identity of "Mr. Chung" mentioned in the text, Chung Mong-gyu declined to disclose further details, citing privacy. He acknowledged the potential for misunderstanding due to the text and apologized to the public, asserting that he had not sought any special favors regarding the session.
Yun defended the text exchange, asserting that it did not impact his conduct during the hearing. "I don't believe this affected my questions," Yun stated. "I asked all the questions that I had prepared, and I don't understand why this text should be a problem."
Democratic Party Representative Noh Jong-myun queried whether the reference to "Mr. Chung" might pertain to former presidential chief of staff Chung Jin-suk. However, Chung Mong-gyu maintained his stance on privacy, reiterating his unwillingness to discuss the matter further.