"Is football reform a political show?" ... Im Oh-kyung faces backlash, cancels National Assembly summons for Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan

[Financial News]  Soon after the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a political move to summon South Korea's national team stars Son Heung-min of LAFC and Hwang Hee-chan of Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. to a National Assembly hearing, when they should have been focusing on preparing for the new season and recovering from fatigue, drew fierce backlash and was ultimately withdrawn.
Rep. Im Oh-kyung of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), a member of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, announced on her social media account on the afternoon of the 10th that she would reverse her decision to request Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan as witnesses for a hearing on pending issues related to the Korea Football Association (KFA), scheduled for the 22nd.
Im explained, "The request was made because we believed the hearing should not become one-sided and should hear the voices of active players firsthand." She added, "This was never intended to burden the players, but was the result of careful consideration to create a better hearing for the development of Korean football." She then said, "Taking the party's views and the players' packed match schedules into account, we have decided to withdraw the witness request."



Im's original decision, as a former member of the national handball team, sparked a strong reaction both inside and outside politics, as well as in the football community. Critics accused her of putting players' right to rest and training schedules aside in order to use national team stars on a political stage.
Jin Jong-oh, a People Power Party lawmaker and former Olympic shooting gold medalist, sharply pushed back, saying, "The Democratic Party should not reduce such an important issue as football reform into nothing more than a political show." Chun Ha-ram of the Reform Party also said, "By framing South Korea's poor World Cup performance as a conflict between Son Heung-min and former coach Hong Myung-bo, this looks like an attempt to cover up the KFA's poor management and incompetence."
Above all, outrage from football fans proved decisive. On online communities and across public opinion, criticism poured in that "calling exhausted players, both physically and mentally drained after the World Cup disaster, to the National Assembly is cruel, rather than protecting them." Even among DPK supporters, voices continued to urge a withdrawal, saying it was inappropriate to request active key players as witnesses.
In the end, as politicians stepped back in the face of widespread criticism, the plan to have Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan appear before the National Assembly ended as a brief controversy.


[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter