South Korea Football Association issues statement on embarrassing refereeing scandal

The South Korean Football Association (KFA) has issued an official statement and apologized for a scandal involving referees. The incident comes after reports emerged that foreign referees who had come to international matches more than a decade ago were offered "intimate services."

According to JTBC, the association arranged such services for foreign referees on several occasions in 2011 and 2012, including during the 2014 World Cup and London 2012 Olympic qualifiers. A 2016 investigation by the country's sports ministry found that referees were taken to such "entertainment" venues at least seven times between March 2011 and March 2012, including massage parlors where they were paid for intimate services.

The KFA said in a statement on Saturday, August 8, that it regretted the situation:

"We apologize for the public concern caused by recent events related to the association (searches, parliamentary hearings and 10-year-old reports). We would like to emphasize that there is absolutely no room for such inappropriate actions and the use of service cards for such purposes in our organization at this time," the statement said.

The scandal comes at a time when the KFA is facing intense criticism and pressure following the appointment of Hong Myung-bo as head coach of the national team. On Thursday, August 6, Seoul police raided the KFA offices as part of an investigation into the appointment.

For information, Hong Myung-bo, who also managed the national team in 2013-2014, was reinstated in 2024. His appointment had drawn sharp criticism as the KFA abruptly made the decision after a brief meeting, ending a months-long search for foreign candidates.