Kang Yoo-jung, a lawmaker of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized Chung Mong-kyu, president of the Korea Football Association, who said that Lee Im-saeng, the technical director, was hospitalized.
Chairman Chung attended a comprehensive audit of the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee on the afternoon of the 24th. He did not attend the parliamentary audit on the 22nd due to his overseas business trip, but he attended on the same day.
Asked by Min Hyung-bae of the Democratic Party of Korea whether the resignation of the technical director, who offered to resign, was handled last month, Chairman Chung said, ” (Lee) was hospitalized because he was traumatized and discharged from the hospital last week,” adding, “We will discuss his resignation soon.”
Asked if he was traumatized by the questioning on the pending issue, he said, “He said he was hospitalized due to depression caused by shock. He seems to have a very soft heart.”
Kang asked Chairman Chung why he brought up the story of technology director Lee’s hospitalization by borrowing public time. “How will we handle the shock and stress that the public has experienced since the appointment of former coach Jurgen Klinsmann?” he said. “I think we still cannot distinguish between construction projects and that we still have a sense of morality.” He also criticized that the two things that the ruling and opposition party lawmakers agreed on without objection during the parliamentary audit were the celebration of Han Kang’s Nobel Prize win and unfairness of the Korea Football Association.
Kang asked why he couldn’t bring Canada coach Jesse Marsch, who was likely to go to Korea. “Under the domestic law, if the conditions for living in Korea exceed 180 days, 50 percent (of income) is paid in taxes, and 22 percent is paid for those below,” Chairman Chung said. “He said it should be considered as a tax issue.”
When asked if it was the KFA’s financial issue, Kang said, “We will pay all taxes,” adding, “We cannot take charge of the Korean national team due to conditions of residence and taxes.” Kang asked the KFA to submit an e-mail message that he received to prove his claim.
Rep. Kang also mentioned that the technical director asked Lee to make efforts for good grass conditions at the last minute of the questionnaire. “Why do you say that here?” he said. “Isn’t the Korea Football Association responsible for grass problems?” and added that K-League clubs are suffering from grass spinning diseases, pests, and drainage problems. He also pointed out that the Korea Professional Football Association holds briefing sessions with grass management entities, but the Korea Football Association is not doing anything.
When asked if the Korea Football Association provided any budgetary support, he said, “Do you mean we should provide 1 to 2 billion won in the Korea Football Association’s budget?” and “Management is done in each city and province and evaluated by the federation.” 스포츠토토
He also pointed out that Choi spent more than 10 million won (8,400 U.S. dollars) with a corporate credit card for three years at a Japanese restaurant where his wife, vice chairman of the Korea Football Association, was married in February this year. Kang said, “When I asked him to disclose the information for the first time, he refused it because it was his personal information, and then falsely reported that he had no history of using it.” “I don’t know if he used it all,” he said. “I heard that it was a place where many soccer players used to visit since a long time ago.”
Kang said the KFA had a history of misusing corporate credit cards for entertainment bars and golf, adding that the use of corporate credit cards should be clearly revealed in the audit results. “We will check again,” he said.