Discord allegations spill from pitch to National Assembly hearing PPP lawmaker Jeong Yeon-uk raises 'multiple doubts' over team cohesion KFA acting president says he hopes for gradual improvement Allegations of internal discord within South Korea's national football team, captained by Son Heung-min of LAFC, spilled into a National Assembly audit hearing Wednesday. People Power Party lawmaker Jeong Yeon-uk raised the recently surfaced allegations of leadership problems and team discord at a National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee national audit session. Jeong questioned Lee Yong-su, acting president of the Korea Football Association, who appeared as a witness, asking whether he was aware that national team players had reportedly been referring to Son not by name but as "No. 7" or "that person." "I have multiple doubts about whether the players' internal teamwork has become so strained that they are uncomfortable even mentioning his name directly," Jeong said. A video interview featuring defender Kim Min-jae of Bayern Munich and midfielder Hwang In-beom of Porto had also emerged following the national team's friendly match against Venezuela. In that interview, Kim directly criticized the forwards for failing to contribute defensively, while Hwang made remarks suggesting he believed there were leadership problems within the squad. Jeong also raised what he called the "retirement commotion" involving Kim Min-jae, Hwang In-beom and Hwang Hee-chan of Schalke — all born in 1996 — following the team's most recent A-match against Uzbekistan. Lee said he had received a brief report on the matter, adding that the association had agreed to continue discussing the issues internally, in line with the principle that what happens in the locker room stays in the locker room. Jeong said the public had fundamental doubts about whether the KFA could exercise any real management skill over the national team, why the squad kept repeating the same conflicts and friction, and whether any coach could repair what appeared to be a broken leadership structure. Lee said he hoped the team would gradually come together under interim head coach Roberto Moreno as it prepares for the November A-matches and the Asian Cup, which opens in January. National team finishes four-match A-match run with 2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss Meanwhile, the South Korean national team under interim coach Moreno finished its September–October four-match A-match run with two wins, one draw and one loss. The side faced Ecuador, Uruguay (a 1-4 loss), Venezuela (0-0 draw) and Uzbekistan (2-0 win) in succession, scoring six goals and conceding four. Kim Min-jae, substituted during the Venezuela match, threw his boots after sitting down on the bench. In a post-match broadcast interview, he said the defenders had been left out to dry that day and that every player needed to "put their head down and run hard" to raise the team's level. In the mixed zone, Hwang In-beom said there was simply no one around to help, adding that while problems were clearly visible in many situations, no one was stepping up and there was no one to step up. After the Uzbekistan match, reports emerged that Kim Min-jae, Hwang In-beom and Hwang Hee-chan — the so-called "96 line," all born in 1996 — were considering retiring from the national team. Son Heung-min has served as national team captain for nine years. Performance enhancement committee chair Hyeon Yeong-min held a lengthy conversation with Kim Min-jae, Hwang In-beom and Hwang Hee-chan after the match and the mixed-zone interviews concluded. The three players did not leave the stadium until after midnight — more than two hours after the final whistle. When asked whether he would retire from the national team, Hwang In-beom smiled and said, "No, no." However, the underlying tensions remained unresolved. A KFA official described the situation as "a dormant volcano that could erupt again at any moment." KFA election tentatively set for Dec. 18 Also Wednesday, Lee told the National Assembly culture committee audit that the KFA was tentatively preparing to hold the election for its next president on Dec. 18, in response to lawmakers' questions about the election schedule and the association's structural reform efforts. Lee said no specific date had been confirmed but that Dec. 18 was being prepared as a provisional election date, adding that the association was working with the reform committee, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee on a plan to expand the electoral college to around 20,000 people. The KFA presidency is currently vacant. Former President Chung Mong-gyu, who led the association for roughly 13 years and five months, announced his resignation in a statement in May and stepped down in July, after which the association began working on institutional reforms ahead of electing a new president. Lee said amendments to the association's articles of incorporation in coordination with the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism would need to come first, adding that the process also required alignment with the statutes of FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation and was currently under consultation. He added that the KFA was facing widespread criticism over its administrative shortcomings, and said he hoped a new president would be elected to lead a fresh drive for reform and renewal.