Jung Mong-kyu, former president of the Korea Football Association, is facing scrutiny after text messages exchanged with a ruling party lawmaker were revealed during a National Assembly hearing. The 'Jung Sunbae' mentioned in the messages has been identified as Jeong Jin-seok, a former chief of staff to the president.
On July 30, during a hearing held by the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee to examine issues surrounding the Korea Football Association, a screen displaying the text message conversation between Jung and ruling party lawmaker Yoon Yong-geun was captured by media cameras.
According to the Seoul Shinmun, Yoon sent a message to Jung during the hearing stating, "Hello, this is Yoon Yong-geun from the People Power Party. I received a call from Jung Sunbae yesterday. I should have been more considerate... I apologize." Jung replied, "Thank you for your consideration. I will greet you in another setting."
Following the report, opposition lawmakers quickly raised concerns. Lee Jae-jung, a member of the committee, asked Jung, "Did you contact committee members for lobbying purposes while preparing for the hearing? Were you trying to establish connections through various channels since you couldn't reach them directly?"
When questioned about the identity of 'Jung Sunbae,' Jung avoided giving a specific answer, stating, "It's a matter of privacy. Do I have an obligation to disclose this? He is just someone who is currently not active."
However, when Democratic Party lawmaker Noh Jong-myeon pressed him, asking if 'Jung Sunbae' was indeed Jeong Jin-seok, Jung confirmed the connection, noting that both he and Jeong are alumni of Korea University.
Jung explained, "We share the same department, but he is my senior by year. We don't meet often."
As the controversy grew, both Yoon and Jung issued clarifications.
During the hearing, Yoon stated, "In fact, I had a personal relationship with him, and I sent a message saying, 'I cannot be considerate, and I apologize.' There was no exchange beyond that. I don't understand why this is an issue in the hearing."
Jung also described the situation as a misunderstanding during the preparation for the hearing. He said, "I did not consider that asking what they were curious about could lead to significant disappointment for the public. If that is the case, I sincerely apologize. I assure you that I did not request any special favors or conveniences related to the hearing."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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