Lawmaker warns against intimidating hearing witnesses as Kim Byung-ji–Park Moon-sung feud escalates

As a public dispute between Korea Football Association Vice President Kim Byung-ji and football commentator Park Moon-sung intensifies in the wake of a National Assembly hearing, lawmakers have called for witnesses to be protected from retaliation for their testimony.

Kim Jae-won, a Rebuilding Korea Party lawmaker on the Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, raised the issue Wednesday during a procedural statement at a committee briefing session. He said it had come to his attention that Kim Byung-ji — who also serves as chief executive of Gangwon FC — had publicly criticized Park, a witness at the hearing, and had even brought up family matters unrelated to the issues addressed during the proceedings.

"I am not trying to intervene in a personal dispute," Kim Jae-won said, "but a witness who appeared before the National Assembly to testify and express views on matters of public concern must not face subsequent pressure or disadvantage because of what they said."

He went on to say that if such conduct continued, no one would come forward to testify about internal problems or speak out in the public interest. "Allegations of misconduct and operational problems raised at the hearing must be answered with facts and evidence — not by attacking the person who raised them," he said.

Kim Jae-won clarified, however, that his remarks were not intended to shield Park from scrutiny. Claims and allegations raised at the hearing should each be verified on their merits, he said, but personally attacking a witness in a way that could deter future testimony is a separate matter entirely.

Kim Jae-won asked Culture Committee Chairman Lee Jae-jeong to closely monitor the situation to ensure that the legitimate statements of Assembly witnesses and public-interest whistleblowers are not chilled. Lee said he shared the concern that the dispute should not unfold in a way that turns public attention away from the underlying issues.

The controversy began after Park appeared as a witness at a KFA hearing on July 30, raising questions about the association's coaching appointment process and management practices.

Kim Byung-ji has since pushed back publicly against Park's claims through social media and other channels. The dispute widened into personal territory when Park raised allegations surrounding an overseas training stint by Kim Byung-ji's son, a professional footballer, and Kim Byung-ji responded by questioning the circumstances of Park's children's overseas education while also raising several allegations about Park's activities in the football world.

The feud escalated further after Park said in a media interview that Kim Byung-ji should "just face an investigation." Kim Byung-ji fired back, asking whether Park had actually filed a complaint or requested an investigation against him in connection with the allegations. "If there is any complaint or accusation related to me, I will not run from it," he said.

Earlier, on Friday, Kim Byung-ji used his YouTube channel to rebut the allegations surrounding him and announced he would take legal action against Park and others.