South Korean media reports that both Hong Myung-bo and former Korea Football Association president Chung Mong-gyu have confirmed their attendance at the relevant hearings.

On July 28, according to an exclusive report by South Korean media MBN, former president of the Korea Football Association Chung Mong-gyu and former head coach of the South Korean national team Hong Myung-bo will attend a hearing related to the Korea Football Association on July 30.

An official from the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee of the National Assembly of South Korea revealed that as of yesterday, neither of the two candidates had submitted an explanation for their absence, and that they had formally expressed their willingness to attend to the committee on the 28th.

Therefore, Chung Mong-gyu and Hong Myung-bo are expected to be questioned as witnesses at a hearing this Thursday, where they will provide detailed explanations regarding the selection process for Hong Myung-bo as the head coach of the South Korean national team, preparations for the 2026 World Cup, and the internal situation of the team during the World Cup.

Meanwhile, Park Hang-seo, former vice president of the Korea Football Association and head of the 2026 World Cup support team, who was selected as a witness, and Park Ji-sung, co-chairman of the Korea Football Reform Committee, Lee Young-pyo, a member of the committee, and several other related individuals who were invited to attend as references, have submitted explanations for their absence.

Previously, when the Korea Football Association announced Hong Myung-bo's appointment as the national team's head coach in July 2024, former technical director Lee Lim-saeng was responsible for explaining the relevant details.

Besides Chung Mong-gyu and Hong Myung-bo, Lee Lim-saeng is also considered one of the key figures responsible for the South Korean team's poor performance in the 2026 World Cup, and was therefore named as a witness at the National Assembly hearing.

However, Li Linsheng's side stated that he was unable to attend the hearing because he had already taken a position at a professional football club in Cambodia.

Previously, shortly after the World Cup, Li Linsheng suddenly went to Cambodia and took up the position of technical director of Nagaworld FC. This news sparked controversy, with some believing it was a "strategic employment" to evade a hearing and investigation.

It is understood that Li Linsheng had previously conveyed to Congress his wish to have a legal representative attend the hearing on his behalf, but this request was not accepted.

The National Assembly believes that Lee Lim-saeng, as one of the key participants in the Korea Football Association's coach selection process, needs to face the questions directly and cannot have a proxy answer them on his behalf.

The core topics of this hearing will revolve around the operational issues of the Korea Football Association in recent years, the appointment process of Hong Myung-bo as the national team coach, and the problems that arose during the team's preparations for the World Cup. The attendance of key figures such as Chung Mong-gyu and Hong Myung-bo is also expected to be a focus of attention.