(LEAD) Football federation provided sexual entertainment for foreign referees: gov't audit
SEOUL, Aug. 7 (Yonhap) -- The national football federation apparently provided s...
The Korean Football Association (KFA) allegedly supplied sexual entertainment to foreign referees before and after matches in South Korea between 2011 and 2012, according to a 2016 government audit report. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism revealed that the KFA used corporate credit cards to pay for these services at massage parlors and adult establishments in Seoul and other cities hosting international matches, including qualifiers for the 2012 London Olympics and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
About a dozen referees and match coordinators from Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Bahrain, and Uzbekistan received these favors for seven matches, during which South Korea emerged undefeated with five wins and two draws. While it may be challenging to link the KFA's actions to the match outcomes, as South Korea was favored in each game, these findings present another setback for the KFA, which has faced criticism in the past.
The KFA president at the time, Cho Chung-yun, has been questioned by police regarding potential fund misappropriation, and former and current KFA employees have been accused of using corporate cards at inappropriate locations. Despite the KFA's lack of convictions or disciplinary action against those involved, the organization has since introduced stricter internal guidelines.
The audit report emerged amid police raids on the KFA headquarters and KFA House, targeting potential improprieties in the 2024 appointment of former men's national team head coach Hong Myung-bo, who resigned following South Korea's early exit from the 2018 World Cup.
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