Korea Football Association apologizes for referee sexual hospitality scandal

Korea Football Association sexual hospitality scandal foreign referees corporate card misuse sports corruption

The Korea Football Association (KFA) has issued a formal apology following allegations that it provided sexual services to foreign referees during international matches in 2011 and 2012. The controversy surfaced after a report by JTBC, which cited a 2016 government audit uncovering inappropriate entertainment provided on seven occasions during World Cup and Olympic qualifiers.

Reports indicate that KFA corporate credit cards were used to pay for visits to massage parlors, with some payments reaching several hundred thousand won. While the association acknowledged the incidents, it emphasized that such conduct is not occurring currently and that many current members were unaware of these decade-old events. There is currently no evidence that these actions influenced match outcomes.

The scandal comes amid heightened scrutiny of the KFA, which is also facing police investigations regarding the controversial 2024 appointment of former national team coach Hong Myung-bo. Authorities have conducted searches of KFA offices to investigate potential irregularities in the recruitment process.

Entities

Cho Chung Yun · Cho Chung-yun · Cho Chung‑yun · Chung Mong-gyu · FIFA · Foreign referees (including Japanese officials) · Hong Myung-bo · Hong Myung‑bo · International football referees · JTBC · Korea Football Association · Korea Football Association (KFA)

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[DISPUTED] The hospitality took place during seven matches that were World Cup or Olympic qualifiers and friendlies in South Korea. sports.ettoday.net · www.chosunonline.com · www.fnn.jp · tuoitre.vn · kenh14.vn · +18 more
[● 6 SOURCES] FIFA’s ethics code imposes a ten‑year limitation period, reducing the likelihood of sanctions for the KFA’s actions. www.fnn.jp · sports.ettoday.net · tuoitre.vn · www.chosunonline.com · kenh14.vn
[● 23 SOURCES] Payments for the hospitality were made using the KFA’s corporate credit card at massage parlors, ranging from about 50,000 to 100,000 Korean won per referee. sports.ettoday.net · www.chosunonline.com · www.fnn.jp · tuoitre.vn · kenh14.vn · +17 more
[● 23 SOURCES] A 2016 government audit report first uncovered the misconduct. www.chosunonline.com · www.fnn.jp · sports.ettoday.net · tuoitre.vn · kenh14.vn · +17 more
[● 23 SOURCES] No evidence has been found that the hospitality influenced match outcomes. sports.ettoday.net · www.fnn.jp · tuoitre.vn · www.chosunonline.com · kenh14.vn · +17 more
[● 23 SOURCES] The KFA introduced a “clean card” system in 2013 to prevent further misuse of corporate cards. www.chosunonline.com · www.fnn.jp · sports.ettoday.net · tuoitre.vn · kenh14.vn · +17 more
[● 24 SOURCES] On August 8, the KFA issued a formal apology, saying it had lost its proper function and promising reforms. sports.ettoday.net · www.fnn.jp · tuoitre.vn · www.chosunonline.com · kenh14.vn · +18 more
[● 24 SOURCES] The Korean Football Association provided sexual hospitality to about ten to twenty foreign referees between 2011 and 2012. sports.ettoday.net · www.chosunonline.com · www.fnn.jp · tuoitre.vn · kenh14.vn · +18 more